


Until We Meet Again

by Ayano_18



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Amity Blight Angst, Amity Blight is in the Emperor's Coven, Canon LGBTQ Character, F/F, Future Fic, Gay Amity Blight, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, LGBTQ Female Character of Color, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Amity Blight, Lesbian Disaster Amity Blight, Lumity Month 2020 (The Owl House), Lumity Week 2020 (The Owl House), Useless Lesbian Amity Blight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:14:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 54,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27671195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayano_18/pseuds/Ayano_18
Summary: It has been 2 years since Luz Noceda left the Boiling Isles, but now she's back and ready for her final year at Hexide. After a few friendly faces fill her in on all that has happened since she's been gone, it is up to her to defeat the Emperor, and maybe fall in love along the way.In the past 2 years, Amity Blight blossomed into the brightest witch at Hexide High. Joining the Emperor's Coven was always her dream, and now it seems she finally has everything she's ever wanted. That is, until a certain troublemaking human is spotted in the Boiling Isles, and it's Amity's job to take her down.From the POV of both Luz and Amity
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Boscha/Willow Park
Comments: 110
Kudos: 258





	1. Chapter One

Luz POV: 

This can’t be happening. This can’t be real. For a long moment, it seems as though all hope is lost for our hero. As fate dangles her over the edge of the cliff, Azura knows she has lost. Her eyes are wide, heart racing as she watches the rocks tumble from the cave walls around her. It’s only a matter of time until one strikes her down. Nothing can save her now. 

“Mi querida, are you listening to me?” 

I glance up from my book quickly to meet the disapproving eyes of my mother. She’s wearing her scrubs, phone clutched in her hand which is placed firmly on her hips. 

I shift slightly on the sofa, closing the book between my fingers. A gentle sigh escapes her lips. She’s not mad, I know, just tired. The dark rings around her eyes make her look years older than she is, a fact that stabs me with guilt. I should help out more, I know. Motherly pride stops her from asking for it, but I know she needs my help more often than I think. 

I left the Boiling Isles to be with her, and now I feel so guilty about going back there. I miss my friends; I miss Eda and little King. Letters from the Owl House weren’t enough to quench my thirst for the adventures the Boiling Isles offered me. I have to be there again, and I wish more than anything my mother could come with me so we wouldn’t have to be apart again. Still, I think she understands. I’ll come back to visit. She might even be better off without me around all the time. 

“You’re going to be late.” Her soft tone pulls me away from my thoughts and makes my stomach flip all at once. “Have you finished packing your bag?” 

“Yes.” I lie. She gives me an uncertain look and I let a soft chuckle escape my lips. She knows me so well. My mind is a mess as I stagger to my feet, placing a soft kiss on her cheek before making my way to the stairs. Three bounds are all it takes to reach the top of the stairs, as my legs are longer than they were two summers ago. I wonder if everyone else has grown up too. It’s hard to imagine Gus any taller than the young student used to be, but I suppose two years is a long time, when you think about it. Letters from the Owl House confirm to me that Amity has grown up considerably and blossomed into the brightest witch at Hexide. I can’t say that surprises me. What did surprise me though is when her letters began to wane to the point when I stopped receiving them all together. Willow stopped mentioning her in her own letters and Eda never brought it up. Maybe she’s glad that I left. 

A cloud of doubt fogs my mind, an unwelcome reminder that I’ll never truly belong in their world. Humans can’t do magic, but that won’t stop me trying. 

My room is a little messier than I would like to leave it, but I don’t have time to tidy up. I shrug, tossing my book onto my desk and grabbing my half-packed duffle bag from my bed. It’s heavier than I remember, so I tip the contents out over my bed. Among the mess of clothes and books, I catch sight of something shiny. Curious now, I reach out to take the item. It’s a frame, glass and wood, with my name etched into the edge. An old photo of my mother and I smiling, the sunlight pouring around us, sits proudly in the frame. I can almost hear our giggles through the glass, almost feel the cold wind turning our cheeks pink. Almost. 

The memory leaves me with a pained smile on my face, as I place my mother’s gift back into the bag with care. The rest of my clothes follow, as well as all six of my Azura books. The 6th one came out last year. I wonder if Amity read it. 

Satisfied with my packing, I grab my bag and head back towards the door. I hesitate, catching sight of my reflection in the mirror on my wall. Tucking my hair underneath my beanie, I take in my reflection. I’m so much more grown up than the last time I was in the Boiling Isles, yet I still carry the same childlike wonder. My hair is longer now, as is the rest of me. My fingers grip around the edges of my flannel shirt, tugging on the hem. I hope my friends will be as glad to see me as I am. I shoot myself finger guns as a laugh escapes my lips. 

You got this. 

“Luz!” My mother’s voice calls me from downstairs. “There’s a little brown bird at the door! I’m guessing he’s here for you.” 

I can’t help but laugh at my mother’s cluelessness, at the absurdity of the situation, and for nerves. It’s actually happening. I’m going back home. 

“Luz!” She sounds a little disturbed, but she’s laughing. “He won’t stop staring at me!” 

My feet echo through the house as I race down the stairs. As I skid around the corner, I see my mother trying to have a staring contest with Owlbert, and failing. I chuckle, placing a kiss onto her cheek. 

“Thank you for the gift, mamá.” I whisper into her ear. She smiles as she shoos me out of the door. Laughing again, I follow Owlbert out onto the street. 

“Te quiero!” My mother calls after me. I turn back to see her standing in the doorway and blow her a kiss. She catches it.


	2. Chapter Two

Luz POV

The Boiling Isles is exactly as I remember it. Tall trees surround the busy town below me. There’s a bustle about today, as shoppers search the market for the items they want to purchase. The sky above is painted a beautiful orange, with large clouds stretching out along the horizon. I take a deep breath in, the familiar smell of home filling my lungs. 

I look down as Owlbert nudges my leg, an indication that we should keep moving. He pushes off from the ground, letting his wings spread as he floats down towards the woods. Before I can follow him, my attention is stolen by commotion from the market. It is only then that I notice dozens of guards from the Emperors Coven patrolling the streets. The commotion is coming from a small street vendor. I’m too far away to recognize the details of the vendor’s face, but I recognize the shock of green hair on his head. The guard seems to be bothering him as their voices grow louder. The bustle of the village has died down now, as everyone watches the scene play out. In a final burst of anger, the guard shoves the green haired boy to the ground, letting out a shout that echoes through the mountains. 

A sharp hoot from beside me makes me jump, and Owlbert tugs on my shirt. I nod to him, glancing back at the town one last time before taking off into a run down the slope towards the woods. 

My mind races faster than my legs as I think about what I just saw. If that green haired boy really was the eldest Blight twin, as I suspected, then that meant bad news for Eda. Blights were known for being respected, and the Owl Lady was known for exactly the opposite. We’ll just have to hope the guards don’t catch her again. 

As the blur of trees around me fades into a clear view of the horizon, I know we’re here. My legs sprint faster now, eager to see Eda and King and Hooty and- 

The door stands ajar, the darkness from inside an unwelcome surprise. I skid to a halt, the smile from my face falling into a frown. It’s quiet, too quiet. 

“Hooty?” I whisper, swallowing my fear and ducking through the gap in the doorway. The usually talkative bird’s silent reply sends a shiver down my spine. As I pull the door towards me, I see him, hanging lifelessly. A quiet gasp escapes my lips as I stagger backwards. I jump as I feel movement beside my head. Owlbert swoops past me into the darkness of the room. 

“Owlbert! Wait!” 

All at once I feel so alone as I am frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. What if the Emperor’s Coven finally found Eda? A flicker of light from the corner of the room grabs my attention. Blindly, I make my way over to it, stepping carefully over the creaky floorboards. My eyes have adjusted to the darkness now, so I can make out the shape of the candle the light is coming from. It protrudes out of a layer of blue frosting that coats the cake underneath. Scrawled onto the surface in icing are the words ‘welcome home’. A soft smile forms on my lips. Home. 

I turn around in startled surprise as the lights around me flicker back to life. Choruses of “Surprise!” and “Welcome back!” echo through the formally silent house, as the grinning faces of my friends pop up from their hiding places. My heart beats violently in my chest as I let out a sigh of relief. 

“You nearly gave me a heart attack!” 

“Sorry for the theatricality, kid.” Eda laughs, making her way towards me. “It was King’s idea.” 

I look down at King, who has already wrapped his paws around my leg. “Yeah, it was!” he declares with a proud nod. 

Willow and Gus let out a long stream of laughter, laughter that I’d missed. I was right about them looking different. Gus has grown a fair few inches since the last time we saw each other. His facial features are the same, but they seem to suit his face more than before. Other than being a little taller, Willow looks exactly the same. She smiles at me behind her glasses as I pull them both into a hug. 

“God, I missed you guys.” 

King has let go of my leg now and is instead going for the food that is spread across the table next to the cake. As Eda warns him not to eat too much sugar, I take the opportunity to have a long look around the room. My ‘banned’ poster hangs besides Eda’s own ‘wanted’ poster on the wall behind the sofa. Not exactly my proudest achievement in the Boiling Isles, but Eda seems to like it. Fairy lights hang from the ceiling, a new addition to the Owl House. I wonder if the rest of the house looks the same. 

“Hoot Hoot! Hi Luz!” I spin around quickly to see the brown face of Hooty. “Did you like my acting? Did you really think I was dead?” He sticks his tongue out, feigning death. 

I laugh. “Yeah, very realistic.” 

He chuckles proudly as I turn back to Eda. Frosting decorates her mouth, and her fingers are sticky with icing. 

“Hey Eda, what’s with all the guards in town?” 

She swallows before answering, concern lining her voice. “The Emperor put more guards on duty not long after you left. They’re taking as many Hexide students as they can to join them, so you better be careful when you graduate at the end of this year.” She grins at the face I pull. “Don’t worry, kid. They’re not gonna want you.” I laugh, shoving her softly. “Still,” she continues. “I can’t help but think they’re up to something.” 

“The guards have been harassing people in town, so much so that people are getting worried.” Gus adds, his mouth full of what looks like gummy worms, but probably isn’t. 

“Do you know if the Blight twins joined the Coven?” I ask him, remembering what I saw-or thought I saw- in town earlier. He shrugs. 

Willow answers for him. “Emira joined. Edric didn’t.” 

“Why?” 

“Does it matter?” King whines from atop the table. He kicks his feet in the air like a toddler. “Luz is back! Shouldn’t we be celebrating, not worrying?” 

We all laugh, as Gus scoops him up into his arms, ruffling his fur. He lets out a few strangled noises, trying to escape his grasp. As we all migrate over to the sofa, I notice that someone is missing. 

“Hey, where’s Amity?” 

Willow and Gus share a look. Even King goes quiet as Gus lets him go. The room goes quiet and everyone avoids my eyes. 

“Uh, listen kid. It’s, uh. It’s complicated.” 

I look up at Eda, confusion written across my face. She goes quiet, distracting herself with a gummy worm. I turn to Willow for more of an explanation, but she gives me none. I sigh, exasperated. 

“Can someone please explain what’s going on?” 

“Amity joined the Emperor's Coven.” Gus says quietly, his eyes fixed on the floor. “Truth is, we haven’t seen her in a while.” 

I’m not sure how to process this information. Joining the Coven is what Amity always wanted. I should be happy for her. “She hasn’t even graduated yet.” I think out loud. 

Willow nods. “She’s still studying at Hexide.” She pops a gummy worm into her mouth, chewing loudly. The room is not so quiet anymore, as Eda and King engage in their own conversation with Hooty. Gus has left the sofa in search of more food. 

“You said you haven’t seen her in a while?” 

Willow shrugs. “She doesn’t talk to us anymore. Honestly, it’s so weird. It’s like they’ve brainwashed her, like she doesn’t know who she is anymore.” I swallow the lump in my throat as my stomach churns. Suddenly her disappearance in my letters makes more sense. “Maybe you should go see her.” Willow continues. “She might be glad to see you.” 

“Does she know I’m back?” I ask. She shakes her head as I stand up. My hands are shaking, but I ignore them. I didn’t expect everything to be the same as it was before I left, but I certainly never thought Amity would turn her back on her friends, on the relationship she had built back with Willow, just to be in the Emperor’s Coven. I want to go talk to her, but I don’t know what I would say. I’m not even sure she would want to see me.


	3. Chapter Three

Amity POV

Each line blurs into the next, a jumble of letters on the page. I blink quickly, shaking my head as I try again to read the words in front of me. My eyes droop as the lines blur all over again. I groan in annoyance, slamming the book shut. I just can’t concentrate. Bringing the cup to my lips, I take a sip of apple blood, the liquid waking me up a little. With another groan, I push my chair back, my boots stomping across the floorboards as I make my way to the window. 

The sun hasn’t yet set over the horizon, and it casts a golden glow over the town. Between the trees stretching up into the sky, I can see the walls of Hexide school in all its glory, a subtle reminder that I should be studying. It’s been hard trying to keep up with my schoolwork as well as training with the Emperor’s Coven, but I can cope. My parents expect me to cope. 

We all saw what happened to Edric when he refused to join the Coven. 

I need some air. 

Grabbing my jacket from the back of my chair, I head for the door. It shuts quietly behind me as I shove my arms into the sleeves. Soft guitar music greets me as I walk past Emira’s room. The rest of the house is cloaked in darkness, as it often is. My footsteps echo through the otherwise silent house as I make my way down the stairs. I’m almost at the front door, reaching for the handle, when my father’s voice makes me freeze. 

“Amity, is that you?” 

I sigh quietly, retreating from the door and following my father’s voice into his study. He looks up when I enter. He looks worn, just as tired as I am. Towers of books surround him, organized neatly in rows on the shelves. The desk he sits behind carries papers on its back and faces the large window on the other side of the room. 

“Where are you going?” He asks, as he takes his glasses off. 

“For a walk. I wanted some air.” I don’t quite meet his eye, settling on the shelves behind his head for a better view. 

He nods, rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. “Have you finished your studies?” 

“Yes.” I lie. My hands fiddle in front of me nervously, as I silently beg for this conversation to end quickly. 

He nods. “Very well. Be home before dark.” 

I nod before turning back on myself and out of the door. 

I regret leaving almost immediately, as the cold wind stings my cheeks. Still, it’s too late to turn back now. Wrapping my arms around my chest, I begin walking towards the woods, finding some kind of comfort in the fortress the trees provide against the wind. Despite being out of the house, I still can’t help but think about the work I should be doing. I want to be prepared for the initiation next week. 

My footsteps slow to a halt as I come across the stream that weaves around the outskirts of town. The water flows quickly, dodging stones as it goes. Sitting down beside the bank, I take a moment to look around me at the beautiful scenery. I can see the mountains through the gaps in the trees and suddenly find myself reminiscing of a day I spent there. I was practicing magic up there with the twins when the Owl Lady and that human girl showed up. That actually turned out to be a pretty good day. The calendar in my mind keeps flicking through pages of memories that I’d almost forgotten. Dancing with Luz under the moon on Gromnight. Fixing Willow’s memories with her. Playing Grugby against Boscha. All the memories with her come flooding back to me. Still, it’s for the best that she went back to the human realm. She doesn’t belong here. And now that I’m part of the Emperor’s Coven, it would be my duty to take her back to the Emperor. 

I don’t even realize I’m crying until I notice the ripples in the water caused by my tears. Standing up quickly, I wipe my face with the back of my hand. Blights don’t cry. 

A shiver runs down my spine as a gust of wind brushes past my bare legs. I clutch my arms around my chest again, moving further into the woods. I walk blindly, my vision blurred with tears. 

I know I shouldn’t have stopped writing to her, but letters seem pointless when I know I’ll never see her again. I might as well have been sitting there writing letters to the darkness and waiting for a response. You get to the point where it hurts too much, and you’ll do anything to be rid of the pain, even if it means hurting someone else. What they don’t know is that I’m terrified. I guess I was just scared of what people would say. I shouldn’t feel that way about her. I’m not allowed to love a human. Besides, love is irrelevant to people like me. 

Lost in my own head, I don't notice the woods get darker and denser as the sun begins to fade away. Time to turn back. I stop, looking around. It takes a moment for the reality to sink in, but I am completely and utterly lost. A line of curses escapes my lips as I shiver again. Every tree looks the same, and I have no idea which direction I came from. I frown with worry, as the night air whistles around me, taunting me. 

By the time I find my way home now, it will be way past dark. As I start down the path in where I hope is the right direction, I send a silent prayer to the twins. I know they’ll get the backlash of my parent’s anger when they find out I'm late home. It’s been hard enough for Emira having to leave her twin behind to join the Coven. She took it harder than me. I think that’s because I was scared of her grief. It seemed so much bigger than mine, and I was afraid it would overtake me. 

A noise from the other side of a line of bushes startle me back to reality. Who knows what kind of creatures are lurking in the dark woods? I slink back against a nearby tree, peering around the edge to see what is making the noise. A flash of green movement feeds my curiosity, leaving it hungry for more. I step forward, causing a branch to snap under my foot. My breath catches in my throat as whatever it is goes silent. Summoning a ball of fire, I prepare to fight it off. 

“Hello?” a voice calls out as relief washes over me. 

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I step out from my hiding place, revealing myself to the person before me. Her hazel eyes blink up at me, her mouth hanging open at the sight of me. The green of her shirt compliments her dark hair perfectly. The round shape of her ears indicates that she’s an imposter in the Isles. She looks almost unrecognizable. I blink quickly, not quite believing what I’m seeing as I extinguish the flame in my hand. “Luz?” 

She stands up in stunned silence, her eyes looking me up and down a few times. I suppose I look quite different now than I used to. My hair is still signaturely green, but longer and reaches almost to my waist. The choker around my neck, as well as the dark eyeliner that is no doubt smudged across my cheeks don’t exactly reflect the Little Miss Perfect she used to know. I’m taller too, I suppose, but I think Luz would be taller than me if we stood next to each other. 

I can’t help but wonder how long she’s been here. What awful rumors has she heard about me? Does she know I joined the Emperor’s Coven? 

In an attempt to save face, I turn on my signature scowl and turn my nose up in the air. “What are you doing here?” 

She says nothing, just stands there with a perplexed look on her face. I can see it on her face; her reality is being ripped away from her and she knows it. “Amity?” 

Her voice is small, her eyes wide and for a moment, I let down my guard. My arms uncross and I take another step towards her. “Yeah.” 

She reaches out to me, but hesitates, choosing to put her arm back down at her side. “Wow. You look great. I mean...it’s good to see you.” 

I try my best to swallow back the blush that tries to creep onto my cheeks. Although older, she’s still just as cute as she was before. I haven’t seen her in so long, and yet I could never forget the details of her face. I feel myself flush with anger for a moment. She’s the one who left. “So, what, you’re visiting the Owl Lady?” 

“No.” she shakes her head. “I’m staying.” 

Her words hit me, hard. She’s staying. She can’t stay here. She doesn’t belong here, especially now that the Emperor’s Coven will be looking for her. I shouldn’t even be talking to her. If Lilith found out, she’d be furious. 

“You’re staying?” 

She flashes me a smile that makes my heart flip as she nods and all at once, I forget how to breathe. The thought of seeing her every day gives me butterflies. 

For a moment, we are both silent, just taking each other in, before she begins to speak. 

“It feels like forever since I last saw you.” 

“Two years.” I snap. “It’s been two years.” 

She nods slowly. “I know.” 

“Why didn’t you come visit?” My arms find their place, crossed over my chest again. “You didn’t even say goodbye.” Tears sting my eyes, threatening to cascade down my cheeks like a waterfall, but I keep my pride. I look away quickly. 

“I know Am’.” Her voice breaks as she talks. “You stopped answering my letters. I thought you didn’t want to see me.” I feel her fingers grip around my arm. “I’m sorry.” I shake my arm free from her grip, looking her dead in the eye. Luz returns her gaze to the floor now, tugging on the hem of her shirt. 

“Whatever.” I say, turning my back to her. “I have to get home. See you around, I guess.” I start back along the path, my boots snapping twigs and seeds underneath them. I don’t try and stop the tears that fall one by one down my cheeks. I don’t know who she is anymore. I should take her back to Lilith or the Emperor. It’s my duty. It’s my job. But I don’t. 

For a moment, I think Luz is just going to let me leave, but she doesn’t. 

“Amity, wait.” 

I don’t.


	4. Chapter Four

Luz POV

My first day back at Hexide is something I’ve been looking forward to since I returned to the Boiling Isles. Since this is my last year, I imagine parties, prom and graduation, not to mention making lots of memories with my friends.

Walking up the steps of the school, however, is not what I imagined it would be. Everyone’s chatting with their friends, talking about the Summer vacation, and I feel like the only one walking in alone. Pulling my hood up over my head, I try to disappear into the crowds. A handful of the Emperor’s guards stand at the front doors, and I can’t help but feel a little nervous as I walk by them.

“Halt!” The guard stops me with his arm and I gulp as he peers closely at me. “What do you think?” he calls to another guard, who also takes a long look at me.

“Nah,” he replies. “She’s a lot shorter in the photo.” 

The first guard nods, pushing me forwards through the school doors. I move quickly, eager to get away from them, as I make my way through the halls of Hexide. It’s just as big and beautiful as I remember. Golden archways line the walls, and purple lockers stand tall above me. Students hurry to get to class, or stand by their lockers talking.

I give Boscha a friendly wave as I walk past her, which she returns with a scowl. I don’t have time to be offended though, as Willow and Gus race up to me from where they stood at their lockers. They envelope me in their arms as we erupt into giggles.

“Luz! Have you gotten your timetable yet?” Willow asks, excitedly. I nod, holding up the piece of paper that was delivered to the Owl House yesterday.

As Willow, Gus and I chatter about the new school year, something catches my eye. Across the hallway, I see Amity leaning against the lockers. She’s talking with her friends just the same as me, but she doesn’t seem happy to be there. A neutral expression is etched onto her face where a smile should be. I can’t help but remember our conversation in the woods. I know that I hurt her, but I have no idea how to fix it.

I see that Boscha has moved over to them to join the conversation, but I don’t recognise the other witch. She’s taller than both of them, with dark hair that cascades down her back in ringlets. She stands the way a High School diploma does when it’s next to a GED. One hand carries a schoolbook, the other is wrapped around Amity’s waist.

“Who’s that?” I ask my friends, indicating to where the girls stand. The pair looked up quickly before rolling their eyes simultaneously. 

“That’s Serena.” Gus explained with a frown. “She’s kinda a big deal.” 

“Yeah.” Willow added. “She transferred to Hexide last year. No one knows where from, but we all hear the rumors.” 

I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat, watching the way Serena stands over Amity. “What rumors?” I ask, dreading the answer.

“She’s the kind of dark girl with a mysterious past who you never mess with.” Gus glances up at me, scanning my face before adding, “So Luz, don’t try anything.” 

I nod back my reply, my mind already elsewhere. The shriek of the school bell is enough to get us all moving to our classes. I linger for a moment, my eyes fixed on Amity. Serena grabs her waist in a firm hand and presses a kiss on her lips. Amity blushes as she says something to her girlfriend. Their laughter is audible from where I stand as Serena walks away. Amity looks up, the smile fading from her face as she locks eyes with me. Only for a moment though, then she’s gone, swallowed by the crowds of students. 

“Are you coming, Luz?” 

Willow calls from where she stands with Gus at the other end of the corridor. I nod, running to catch up with them. 

“Hey, Willow?” I ask as we fall into step with one another. “Is Serena part of the Emperor’s Coven?” 

She shrugs. “Probably. She’s crazy enough to be.” She turns right where I turn left, walking away from me down the halls. “Seriously Luz,” she calls back over her shoulder. “Don’t try anything stupid.” 

I chuckle as I turn away from her and towards my own classroom. The halls are empty now, a subtle reminder that I’m late to class. I jog the next few meters, skidding to a halt outside the right door. To my relief, the teacher isn’t here yet, and the room is still an eruption of noise. I look around the room for a spare desk and see only one available.

The only seat that hasn’t been taken is the one next to Amity Blight.


	5. Chapter 5

Amity POV: 

You have got to be kidding me. 

I was dreading her being in my class, let alone in the seat right next to me. My pen taps furiously on the page as I try to pay attention to what the professor is saying. 

Seven basic principles of magic. I write them down as the teacher says them, my signature loopy handwriting marking the page. 

Palm, ditch, steal, 

She’s staring at me. Why is she staring at me? I rest my head on my free hand, trying to concentrate on what I’m writing. Okay, so 

simulation, load, 

“What?” I hiss, unable to take it anymore. She jumps slightly, dropping her pen onto the table. 

“Nothing.” is her response. 

I roll my eyes, turning my attention back to the class. 

misdirection, and switch 

I glance up again. She isn’t looking at me anymore and is instead listening to the professor. Her tongue hangs partially out of her mouth as she scribbles into her book. Her hazel eyes squint with concentration as she pushes a strand of hair out of her face. When she’s done, she lets out a quiet sigh, leaning back in her chair. I look away quickly as her eyes meet mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her grin a little, keeping her eyes on me for a moment before looking away. 

The bell brings me instant relief, and I slam my book shut. I know she’s watching me walk away, but I don’t care, as I’m the first out of the classroom. 

The rest of the day goes by pretty quickly, and when the final bell rings signaling the end of the school day, I’m relieved to meet with Lilith for more training. On my way to my locker, the halls clear up until I’m the only one left in sight. I allow my locker to swallow my books from today, pulling a large blue book from its jaws. Etched neatly into the cover are the words ‘Coven Training’. With a smile, I turn on my heels towards the school doors. My smile disappears just as the grip on my book does as I collide with the person in front of me. 

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” I snarl as a hand pulls me up from the floor. Luz stands before me, a look of worry painted across her face. She holds out my book to me as her other hand is still latched onto mine. I push away from her quickly, snatching the book out of her hands. 

She looks down at me apologetically. “I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” 

I nod quickly, ignoring the blush that stains my cheeks red. Her smile warms me, my cold exterior melting away. “Yeah, thanks.” I look down at the book in my hands, then back up to Luz. “I assume Willow already told you.” I say, indicating to the rounded letters carved into my book. She nods, a sad smile on her face. 

“I’m happy for you.” she tells me, unconvincingly. “I know joining the Coven is what you’ve always wanted.” 

I nod slowly, unsure what to say. I thought Luz would be upset with me. Perhaps she doesn’t care at all. Perhaps she doesn’t know about the Coven’s plans. 

“They’re looking for you, you know.” Luz looks up quickly, her eyes wide with surprise. “I should hand you over right now.” She takes a step away from me, her hands forming fists at her side. It hurts to know she’d think I’d be so heartless. I don’t care if it’s my duty, I could never knowingly hurt her. “I won’t, Luz. I could never.” 

Her expression melts, but she still keeps her distance, her hands held out in front of her as defense. “I know you’re mad at me for leaving.” she starts, and I immediately want to be anywhere but here. “I’m sorry, but I’m back now. Can’t we just be friends?” 

I shake my head, clutching the book to my chest. “No, Luz. The Coven stands for order.” She tilts her head, her hands lowering down to her sides. “The Coven stands against you.” A sigh escapes my lips. “If there’s ever a choice between our people, I will choose mine.” 

Her eyes meet mine, a galaxy of stars I will never be able to explore. She reaches out to me, her hand resting on my shoulder as I watch her with wide eyes. “Then let’s hope it won’t come to that.” 

She offers me a smile, which I return, her fingers still lingering. After a moment, she breaks away from my gaze, bringing her hand away from me. With a soft sigh, she turns away from me, her feet leading her away down the corridor. I want to call after her, I want to say something, but I’m not sure what. 

“I don’t even know you,” the sound of my own voice echoing off the lockers surprises me. She turns to listen. “But I feel like I understand you.” 

She smiles, a genuine smile that makes my heart do a cartwheel inside my chest. With a nod of her head, she’s gone, disappearing around the corner. 

I stand for a moment, processing the interaction. The warmth of her fingers on my shoulder still lingers, and her smile is all I can think about. I shake my head quickly, guilt swiftly replacing whatever else I was feeling. As I turn to leave, what I don’t see is Serena peering around the corner, watching me walk away. What I don’t see is the scowl she wears, or the cogs turning in her brain as she plans her next move.


	6. Chapter 6

Luz POV:

The sun shines like a God given gift through the open window, perfectly reflecting my good mood. As I stretch my hands above my head, I am careful not to kick King, who is snoring quietly at the end of my sleeping bag. Looking around the room, my eyes settle on the framed photo of my mother and I, all smiles. I miss her. I slip away from my makeshift bed, tugging my jumper over my head as I stumble towards the door. 

It’s early, too early for Eda to be awake, so I make my way quietly through the house, stopping as I reach the kitchen. My stomach longs for some sweet human food, but I’m likely to drink something deadly in this kitchen. Instead, I settle for the snacks that King hasn’t yet eaten from our party when I first arrived home. 

The house is a peaceful kind of quiet, lit up from the sunlight outside. As I pull open the front door, I’m met with the scenic views of the woods and Hooty’s loud snores. Still chewing on a gummy worm, I close the door quietly and start to head up the path towards Hexide. 

So far, life here in the Boiling Isles has been great. Aside from a few run-ins with Amity and sneaking past the Emperor's guards every day, I’ve pretty much been able to stay out of trouble. I miss my mother, but I’ll be back to visit soon enough. I’m sure she’s doing alright on her own. Ever since my dad left, it’s just been the two of us. We got by just fine on our own. 

Marriage laws are funny. If you want to get married, you can go down to the courthouse, sign a few papers and be married in less than 15 minutes. Unfortunately for us, leaving your family is just as easy. I’m sure the Boiling Isles has different rules, all of which I’ll get to learn at some point. 

I turn left, the leaves beneath me beginning to look more like a path. A rustle from the bushes behind me makes my feet stop walking and my head turn. Everything is as quiet and calm as it was before. With a shrug, I continue walking down the path, my mind set on today’s classes. The sound of a branch snapping interrupts my thoughts, but before I can turn around, I feel a hand clasping over my mouth and another holding back my arm. I try to fight, to no avail, kicking my legs out in front of me. My head starts spinning as my eyes droop and everything around me goes dark.


	7. Chapter 7

Luz POV: 

“Hurry up!” 

I open one eye, the blue light stinging my eyes. My head is still spinning as I try to sit up, wincing in pain. I rub my forehead, blood staining my fingertips as I look down at my hand. Whatever hit me must have hit me pretty hard. Looking around for signs of an exit, I notice for the first time the blue orb that imprisons me. 

“Come on!” a voice whines. I look around but can’t find who it belongs to. 

“This better be good, Serena.” I recognize Amity’s voice almost immediately. “I was meant to meet with Lilith 10 minutes ago!” 

I move quickly, pressing my face up against the edge of my bubble-prison. The room I'm in is lit up only by the light the orb emits. Serval large statues line the walls, none of which I recognize. The interior of the building looks old, even older than Hexide. Where am I? And why is Amity here? 

I watch intently as the two girls round the corner, each one wearing a different expression at the sight of the orb. Serena’s mouth is turned up in a smug grin, while Amity wears a look of surprise and confusion. 

“Oh, my Gods, Serena! Who’s in there?” 

“You’ll never guess.” the young witch replies, drawing a circle with her hand in the air. The walls of the orb around me change from a blue to a transparent white, and suddenly I can see the girls clearer. I jump back in surprise, losing my balance and falling onto my back. “I caught the Human!” 

As I regain my balance, my eyes return to Amity, who stands there white as a ghost. Her hands fly to her mouth where they rest for a moment before she speaks. “You have to get her out of here!” she hisses. “Don’t you know what the Emperor will do to her if he gets his hands on her?” 

Serena shoots her a confused look as she places her hands on her hips. “Uh, yeah, that’s the whole point.” She points a finger at me, her eyes glowing. “And her captors will be greatly rewarded.” She speaks slowly, as if talking to a child. Amity breaks away from my gaze, turning to look at her. “Isn’t that your dream? To be part of this Coven and take all of the glory that comes with it?” The green haired girl turns back to me, a glint of regret in her eyes. Serena moves behind her, placing both hands on either of Amity’s shoulders as she leans in to talk in a hushed tone. “This is it, babe. This is your future.” Amity keeps her eyes on me as she listens to what Serena is saying. “Take it”. 

“Amity!” I call out, my voice breaking. “No!” 

Her expression doesn’t change, and I know she can’t hear me. I bang my fist against the orb in frustration, my eyes stinging with hot tears. I don’t fight to stop them as they cascade down my cheeks in a waterfall of regret. I think back to the warning Amity gave me. 

“If there’s ever a choice between our people, I will choose mine.”


	8. Chapter 8

Amity POV:

My footsteps echo through the empty room as I pace back and forth, waiting for word from Belos. I’ve been alone here since Serena and two other guards dragged Luz off to the cells. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the look on her face. My mind is a whirlwind of questions that I don’t yet have the answers to. The fate of Luz depends entirely on the Emperor’s decision. 

As a member of the Coven, I know it’s my duty not to care this much about her. It’s her own fault; she never should have come back to the Boiling Isles. I tried to warn her, she didn’t listen. Doesn’t she know she doesn’t belong here?

The loud creaking of guard armor makes me lift my head just in time to see the doors swing open. Kikimora stands in the doorway, her eyes glinting with a certain deviance. “This way,” she says, turning back out the door. “Emperor Belos wishes to see you.” 

I swallow hard before taking my first step forward, walking quickly to keep up. “Why?” I ask Kikimora as we move through the winding halls. “Is this about Luz- I mean...the human?”

She doesn’t respond. 

As we approach the doors to Emperor Belos’ room, I take a deep breath to prepare for what is about to come. The doors creak open, revealing a dark room. Tall stone pillars line the walls, as well as paintings of each coven group. An orb of red light hovers over a chair at the center of the room. Belos sits, tall and proud on his throne as I fall to one knee before him. 

“Rise.” he says, his voice low. He turns to Kikimora and the guards that stand by her side, lifting his hand with the order he gives. “Leave us.” 

Kikimora looks hesitant to do so, but follows her orders anyway as the doors slam shut behind her. Belos turns his attention back to me as I stand before him. I keep my shoulders back, head high as I try to swallow back my fear. 

“You have proven to be very useful to us here.” Belos says, rising from his throne slowly. “I expected nothing less of a Blight. If only your brother hadn’t been so much of a disappointment.” 

I feel my fists clench at my sides as he says this, fighting back the words that are trying to claw their way out of my mouth. 

“Still, having been with us for so little time, you have certainly proven yourself worthy.” 

He takes a step forward, indicating to the chair positioned in the center of the room. I swallow, an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. Following his instructions, I walk quickly towards the chair, lowering myself down onto it. 

“Thank you, Emperor Belos.” I say, my voice coming out a little quieter than I intended. I clear my throat and try again. “I’m glad to be useful to you.” 

He nods slowly as he steps down from the podium his throne sits on. My eyes widen as he comes closer, my fingers gripping the arms of the chair. 

“I wonder, how far do your loyalties go?” he says as he reaches me. I take a sharp breath in and hold it, as though bracing for impact. “You see, I want to promote you.” he explains, moving behind the chair. I stare out ahead of me, scared to move. “But first I must be sure your loyalties lie with me.” 

“They do, Emperor Belos.” I protest quickly. “You can trust me. This is all I’ve ever wanted since I was a child.” 

A dry chuckle surprises me as he completes his circuit and returns to stand in front of me. “That I’m sure. But, even so, we’re going to run some tests.” His finger moves quickly through the air, forming a perfect red circle. In response, the red glowing orb above my head begins to move down towards me and metal loops clasp around my wrists. I swallow, hard, shuffling in my seat. My fingers grip around the arms of the chair so hard my knuckles turn white. “Oh, don’t worry.” he continues, his voice anything but calming. “You won’t feel a thing.” 

The orb is close enough now for me to hear the electrical crackles of the magic stored inside. As it gets closer to my skin, I feel the heat it emits. 

“Just think of the power you’ll hold.” Belos tells me as I writhe in pain, letting out a cry as the orb finally touches my skin. “Think of the glory.” My body feels tired, my eyes begin to droop as the burning sensation continues. The last words I hear before everything goes black are from Belos. 

“That’s all you’ve ever wanted, right?”


	9. Chapter 9

Amity POV:

A quiet buzzing begins to sound at the edge of my awareness, an indistinct murmur of voices as my eyes flutter open. The murmuring builds, growing louder and louder, voices piling on top of one another. The bright lights around me burn my eyes, and I squint trying hard to see. There doesn’t seem to be much of anything at all, until suddenly, sharply, there’s nothing. Silence. Just the echoing of voices ringing in my head as my eyes droop closed once again.

“Amity?”

I lift my head as much as I can, the energy drained from me. In the darkness, I see a blue orb moving slowly towards me. I try to lift my hand to my head, but my skin is met with the metal that holds my arms down. I shift slightly, as much as I can with the little energy I have left.

After a beat of silence, I hear my name called out into the nothingness again. “Amity!” 

It’s coming from the orb.

As it draws closer, I see that it hovers a full foot above my head, and is bigger than I thought it to be. I clench my fists in their shackles, my nails digging into my skin with anticipation.

“Amity, can you hear me?”

The sound of this voice taunts me somehow, almost like I’m programmed to hate it. Almost like I’m destined to destroy it.

I let my head hang and my eyes droop for a moment, until I can no longer stand to not look at it. This beautiful blue orb hanging like the sun above me. The corners of my mouth turn up into a smile as I am hypnotised by the light this ball emits. My hands relax, my whole body softening as if I’m bowing down. How is it that something so beautiful can bring me such pain? 

My eyes shift slightly, adjusting to the brightness of the orb as it hovers mere metres in front of my face. For the first time, I notice the person imprisoned within these blue walls. My smile fades quickly into a scowl, my fists clenching once again. I try, to no avail, to stand, my hands still clasped down. Never before have I felt the urge to kill so much.

“Human.”

The word spits from my mouth like venom as I long to tear that girl to pieces. She looks back at me, eyes wide as she steps away from me in her circular prison. I stare back, eyes burning madly as I feel my nails break the skin of my palms. Green strands hang in my face, moving back and forth with my heavy breathing. 

“It’s over, human.” I hiss, a devilish grin forming on my face. “I’ve got you now.”


	10. Chapter 10

Luz POV:

“Silence!” 

A hush settles over the crowd, all dressed in fine attire. As I search the faces desperately for someone familiar, my eyes land on a green haired witch standing amongst the crowd. Unlike the others, she is unsmiling. Her golden eyes emphasize the worried expression she has painted onto her face. She wears a grey cape with yellow lace and her hair is twisted into a neat plait that hangs down her back. 

“Emira!” I call out, but it’s no use. She can’t hear me. 

“Now,” the Emperor continues, addressing the crowd. “It is my honor to introduce to you the newest member of the Coven.” The crowd murmur their excitement as they listen. “She is fresh out of training, but I think you’ll all find her to be the perfect addition.” 

I watch with curiosity as Emira looks around the room, scanning faces. She whispers something inaudible to the person standing beside her, who shrugs his shoulders in response. Leaning forward, I press my hands against the walls of the orb to get a better view. 

As the Emperor raises his hands up to the crowd, Amity steps forward from the shadows to join him on the podium. There’s something new about her, as she walks with confidence towards the Emperor. Even from a distance, I can see her eyes glowing a dark red, her smile staged like a lovely little lie. The black cape that hangs around her shoulders swishes gracefully as she turns to face her audience. 

Emira’s mouth hangs open, confusion written across her face in big black letters as Amity grins proudly. 

“Thank you, Emperor Belos.” She speaks. “I am pleased to fill the role of your deputy. With me as your second in command, we will ensure the Boiling Isles is returned to order.” Her hands clasp in front of her, the smile never fading from her face. She looks almost lifeless, like a doll dressed all in black and decorated with a smile. “It is my sworn duty to destroy those who stand against us, and I am starting with her.” 

My eyes widen as a black painted nail points in my direction. Heads turn and murmurs grow louder as most of the crowd notice me inside the blue orb for the first time. Emira meets my gaze for a moment, a look of shock crossing her face before she turns her eyes to the floor. I swallow, hard, running a hand through my hair. 

Amity’s eyes burn as she takes a few steps towards me, my name foaming madly at her mouth. “Luz Noceda, the Human.”


	11. Chapter 11

Luz POV 

This is not where I thought I’d end up when I returned to the Boiling Isles; sat on the cold stone floor of one of the Emperor's Coven’s many cells. Bringing my knees up to my chest, I struggle for breath, willing myself not to cry. 

I’ve been gone for hours now, why hasn’t Eda come to find me yet? Did Willow and Gus even care when I didn’t show up to school this morning? 

I can’t help but think I should never have come back to the Boiling Isles. I really don’t belong here. 

My eyes sting with fresh tears, and I do not fight as they slip down my cheeks. With a sigh, I fold my arms over my knees and sob quietly, my mind a whirl of memories from two years ago. The views are all the same, and the Owl House hasn’t changed, but as each of my friends grew up, a part of them got left behind. 

Amity’s smile haunts me like a ghost of my past as I think of the time we spent together last year. Each Azura book club meeting, each class we had together, even playing Grudgby against Boscha and Grom night when we danced under the stars. There are parts of those memories we will never be able to relive, time that we will never be able to get back. Right now, I’m not sure how much time I have left, and it doesn’t look like anyone is coming to save me. 

High pitched giggles drag me away from my thoughts, and I lift my head just in time to see Amity emerging from around the corner. “Aw, don’t stop.” she taunts me in a sing-song voice as I wipe my face with the back of my sleeve. “I was enjoying the show.” 

She brushes a green strand of hair out of her face as she turns to face me. The center of her eyes are glowing red as I realize she must be under the influence of some powerful magic. “What did they do to you?” I ask, standing up quickly. 

She doesn’t flinch as I pace towards her, gripping my fingers around the bars that hold me hostage. Instead, she smiles, an unwelcome smile unlike the one I used to know. “Emperor Belos sent me down here to finish you off.” she tells me, turning slightly away from me, a smug smile on her face. I swallow the lump in my throat, refusing to look away. “But I convinced him to let me keep you. After all,” She turns back to me, gripping the bars with her hand and leaning as far in as possible, “you’re worth more to us alive than dead.” 

Laughter erupts from her mouth once again as she moves backwards to open the barred doors. I lift my hands away from the metal as it creaks open, taking a few steps back while Amity moves in on me. 

“The Owl Lady will be here soon enough to try and rescue her little pet,” she continues, the very mention of Eda making the redness of her eyes glow darker. “And when she does, we’ll be ready for her.” 

“Why are you doing this?” I ask her as her smile falters. “There was a time when we would have done anything for each other. What changed?” 

She steps away from me, her smile turning into a frown. “I changed.” she says, the irritation palpable in her tone. “I grew up. I came to realize that life is not an Azura book. We can’t just waste our days on a dream that won’t come true.” The volume in her voice grows as the red in her eyes glitches like a videogame. “You think it’s so easy here, making potions and casting spells at the Owl House, but what you don’t see is the blood and tears and sweat.” she takes a few strides towards me as her fists clench. She is close enough now for me to see the beautiful golden of her eyes break through the red in flashes as she keeps talking. “I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am, and I won’t let you take that away from me.” 

“I don’t know what I did to make you hate me so much.” 

She takes another step towards me, relaxing her fists. Her eyes have returned to their normal golden color, and for a moment I see her soften. Just as I think she’s about to retaliate, she lets out a cry of pain, falling to her knees in front of me. She clutches her arms around her stomach, her eyes tightly closed. I stand above her, stunned as she turns her head up to look at me. 

“Don’t you get it?” she says, her voice strained with pain. “I loved you. And you left.” 

For a moment, I almost don’t believe her, but as I watch her golden eyes begin to glow red again, I know that every word of it is the truth. I drop to the floor, holding my hand out to her for comfort. She takes it and squeezes hard as she writhes with pain. With another groan of agony, she falls against my shoulder, squeezing onto my hand even harder. 

Her walls are rebuilt as quickly as they were broken down though, as the pain seems to end just as suddenly as it started. She kneels for a moment, breathing heavily, her eyes glowing red. One hand is still wrapped around her stomach, the other clutching onto mine like a lifeline. 

“Amity,” I start softly. Her breathing hitches as she brings her eyes up to look at me. She looks like a child, beautiful and naive, waiting to be told some good news. I have none to give. “I don’t know what to say.” 

A feeling of dread passes through me as I look into her eyes. She isn’t looking at me, but rather through me, as if I’m not even here. The center of her eyes glows a darker red than before, and she doesn’t seem to be hearing the words I’m saying. 

“I’m sorry I left.” I whisper into her hair as she leans against me. “I know there’s a part of you still in there, and I know that you can hear me.” She lies still, blinking slowly. I can’t tell if she’s listening to me or not, but I talk anyway. “You don’t have to do this. You can come home with me, to the Owl House.” Her grip on my hand loosens, her eyes drooping closed. I can feel the rise and fall of her steady breathing against my chest. “I’m not leaving you behind again. I promise.” 

She hesitates for a moment, before bringing her eyes up to meet mine again. “That sounds like a beautiful dream.” she whispers, and I can feel her warm breath against my neck. 

There is a moment of stillness, a quiet that can’t be recreated as I hold her against me, our steady breathing falling in time with one another. It feels as though we are somewhere else, like in a dream, and there is nothing else but the two of us. A dream can never last forever though; we all must wake up. 

She stands up quickly, pushing me away from her. My eyes widen as she leaves me alone where we both sat mere seconds ago. From the floor, I watch her move back towards the doors with determined steps. She looks so powerful, so confident as the Emperor’s magic courses through her veins, controlling her every move. As the doors slam closed behind her, she turns back to me with a cold unfeeling look in her eyes. 

“It’s over, Luz. You’ve lost.”


	12. Chapter 12

Amity POV: 

When I first met you, your eyes glowed like the sun on the ocean, like a sky full of stars that I longed to explore. When you smiled in my direction, I swore that I would never cry again. How beautiful, the sound of your voice, the way you made me feel, the sun setting at the end of a long day. 

Now you are a dark cloud on a misty horizon somewhere just beyond reality. A memory, too far away for me to remember, but when I numb the pain, I can see you, clear as day. I see you laughing, dancing through the fog towards me. And I reach out to you, but you are gone. 

I see you all the time in places that you’re not. Sometimes, if I try hard enough, I can almost hear your voice whispering my name. I can almost feel your hands on my skin. Almost. Your laugh is like a melody I can’t bring myself to forget. You haunt my dreams like a beautiful nightmare, and sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever sleep again. 

I wonder when I will see you again. 

Yours, Amity 

I hold the letter in my hands, the last letter I ever wrote but never sent. 

I call her ‘human’ when I write about her to make the memory of her seem as storybook as possible. But she was very real. She was and she is, and she is still out there. Still doing anything but thinking about me. Every breath is a reminder of the oxygen we used to share, every breath feels like torture yet, I still breathe. Because I don't really have a choice. 

A single loop of my finger through the air is enough to set the page alight. It’s gone within seconds, just a pile of ash and memories on the stone floor. 

They say fate is walking through a forest on a warm summer morning. The sun shines down around you as you follow the path through the trees. Each tree is said to represent the problems and people you face, and when you encounter them, they change the direction of your journey. You can see some trees coming and choose to take a different path to avoid them. Some trees grow right in front of you while you’re walking, causing you to have to find a way around it. They say you must stick to the path, no matter what, as it will guide you to where you need to be. 

But what happens when someone wipes your path clean, and you’re left with no road to follow? Will fate draw me a new one, or am I left to find my own way home? If I can’t blame fate, who else is left to blame? 

This is what I’m thinking about as I stand before my first dilemma as Deputy of the Emperor’s Coven, this tree that just grew right in front of me. 

“What do you mean she’s gone?!” I shriek as the guard in front of me shrinks back into himself. 

“Forgive me, Miss.” he stutters, “The Owl Lady must have slipped past our defense. It seems they’ve released all the prisoners from their holding cells.” 

My throat releases a low growl, my fists clenching at my sides. “How could you have let this happen?” I hiss, the anger apparent in my voice. 

He doesn’t answer my question, instead offering me a solution. “I can have a team of our finest soldiers assembled in five minutes to track her down. I assure you; we won’t let you down again.” 

“Forget it!” My voice bounces back against the walls. “You nitwits aren’t worth my time. I’ll bring her back here myself.” 

My footsteps echo through the room as my heavy shoes carry me towards the door. I try my best to push Luz’ words to the back of my mind. 

“I’m not leaving you behind again. I promise.”


	13. Chapter 13

Amity POV:

The Owl House isn’t far, and I’m surprised I even remember the way. The cold autumn breeze ripples through my hair, sending shivers down my spine. I hug myself with my arms, trying to warm myself up, as my jacket isn't enough to battle with the cold and win. 

I see her before I realize what I’m looking at, her tall figure standing out among the summer leaves. This game of hide and seek seems too easy, almost as if she didn’t play her part correctly. As soon as my eyes focus on the dark-haired girl sitting on the lowest branch of the Grom Tree, I can’t feel the cold anymore. I can’t feel anything anymore, and I step out from the trees towards her. 

“Hey, Luz.” I call out tauntingly as the wind swallows my voice and carries it away. She hears me though and turns her head to look at me. “You really thought you’d get away that easily?” 

She looks lost. I swallow back my empathy as her empty eyes watch me. After a moment, she jumps down from the branch, taking a step towards me. 

“Do it.” she says, her voice barely a whisper in the breeze. For a moment, I think I’ve misheard her, but as she stretches her arms out to either side, I know I’m right. “Do it,” she says again. “Use your magic. Take me back to the Emperor, I don’t care.” 

She closes her eyes tightly, bracing for impact as I take three paces towards her, beginning to draw a circle with my finger. I’m close enough now to see her face properly. My hand drops to my side, my circle vanishing into thin air. 

“That’s a death sentence.” I tell her, though I’m not sure why. My voice is not threatening but carries a sense of warning with it. 

She opens her eyes, bringing them up to meet mine. “I don’t care.” 

I stand for a moment, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides. I think of doing it several times. I think of not thinking and just striking her down, but what am I meant to do when I take her lifeless body home? Where even is home anymore? 

I’ve dropped my gaze now, but I feel her eyes on me. “I know you’re still in there.” I hear her whisper. I want to snap back, tell her that she doesn’t know me, but she does. She knows me better than I know myself. “I can explain everything if you just let me try.” 

My anger is a short fuse, and at last it blows. “Explain what?” my voice is louder than I intended, but I keep going, stepping forward every time I feel my own heart shatter. “Why you left me for two years?” She steps back as I move in on her, her eyes growing wide. “Why you didn’t even bother to say goodbye?” 

I don’t even notice my hand pinning her shoulders back against the tree. I don’t even notice my chest rising and falling with every heavy breath, or the golden light that’s trying to flicker through the red of my eyes. I don’t even notice the flame that burns in my other, just as much as the fire in my eyes and the anger burning inside of my chest. I hold it above my head like a weapon, like a threat. 

“Amity, wait!” 

The flame scorches the bark of the tree behind where Luz’ head once was. I turn quickly, my eyes scanning the clearing to find where she’s ducked away to. She stands, scared, her hands held out in front of her as though to calm me down. It doesn’t work. 

“You really think I left because I didn’t care?” She sounds hurt, lost, like there are a million things she wants to say but she just can’t find the words. I respond to her question with another ball of fire barreling in her direction. She jumps out of the way, trying to talk to me through every painted breath. “I left because I don’t belong here.” she tells me as she ducks another fireball. “I have a family at home, a mother who needed me.” 

I stop for a moment, my mind racing. As I close my eyes, I think of my own parents, the twins, Edric who so needs somebody right now. I think of the ways I let them down. All the ways I failed to be perfect. 

“I didn’t want to choose, but I did.” Her voice is closer now, and I open my eyes to see her standing just inches in front of me. “I chose to come back here.” she says, her voice soft. I reach my hand out to summon an abomination, but she catches my wrist before I can draw the circle. My breath hitches in my throat as she closes the distance between us. “I’m back, and I’m staying. I promise, Amity.” She holds my wrists with a gentle grip, her eyes never looking away from mine. There’s something almost hypnotic about the way she says my name. “I’m right here.” 

“Staying here is a death sentence.” 

“We all die, Am’. The question is what we stood for when we lived.” She drops my wrists and brings her hands up to touch my face. “You don’t have to do this.” I close my eyes tightly as I feel her hand tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. She is standing so close to me; I can feel her breath against my face. I can feel her heart beating against my own chest. “You don’t have to go with them.” 

A moment of silence passes between us. A calm silence, a necessary one. It feels almost as it was before she left all that time ago. But it’s not the same now, everything has changed. 

I open my eyes quickly, pushing away from her. She looks back at me with surprised eyes. I push down the guilt, push down the words that are trying to claw their way out of my mouth. “You made your choice.” I hiss. “And I made mine. Now we must both see it through.” 

My finger draws a perfect loop in the air and a light begins to shine beside us. She turns her head towards it to see the makeshift doorway I have created in the bark of the Grom Tree. 

“Go home.” I tell her as she turns her head back to me. “Leave the Boiling Isles.” My eyes take her in one last time, and I ignore the tears that sting my eyes. As my eyes are engulfed in red once more, I turn away from her. “You’re right, you don’t belong here.” 

My feet start up the path, the cold wind whipping through my hair once more. I do not shiver this time, as the cold has no effect on me anymore. 

“No.” says the determined voice behind me. I stop walking, but don’t turn back. “I won’t leave you again.” 

“You don't have a choice.” I say, turning back to face her. “You’ll only get hurt. I can let you leave with your life, but that’s all.” I bring my arm up to face, wiping away the only shred of emotion I have left. “Now go,” I say, my voice more threatening than before. “Before I change my mind.” 

She doesn’t. Instead, she takes a careful step towards me, hesitating before coming any closer. “You mean before Belos changes your mind. He’s got you wrapped around his finger.” her voice fills with worry, wavering slightly. “Can’t you see he’s using you?” 

I hesitate for a moment, unsure of how to react, before shrill laughter erupts from my mouth. “Of course, he’s using me!” I sound drunk with hysteria and I stagger back towards her, my red eyes wide and lifeless. “He’s using all of us.” 

“And you’re okay with that?” she asks me, the surprise and judgement clear in her voice. 

I shrug and my body stiffens, replying with words that aren’t mine. “The Emperor’s Coven may not always play fair, but we fight for what is right.” Her frowning eyes blink back at me. I take a step backwards as she reaches a hand out to me, careful not to let her get too close. 

“Do you really think they’re going to keep you around once you’re no longer useful to them? You’re a threat to Belos, that’s all he sees you as.” 

I let out a gentle sigh before the breath catches in my throat. “You don’t have to worry about me, Luz. I know how to keep my life.” 

I stand still and tense as she makes her way towards me, wrapping her hands around my neck. I feel her breath on my neck as she sobs gently into my shoulder. Her hair brushes against my neck, her familiar smell washing over me. “I don’t want to leave you.” she tells me as she composes herself. She pulls away, one hand cupping my cheek while the other reaches for my hand. “Please, Amity. Stay.” 

She leans into me as she zips her fingers into mine. Her lips linger so close to mine, I can feel her breath against them. As she stands a few inches taller than me, I take all of her in. She smells of Summer breeze. Her dark hair frames her face like a painting and her soft skin is all I can think about. For a moment, I can feel Belos’ grip on me loosen and it’s just me and her under the setting sun. The Grom Tree we grew together stands tall and proud as the door I created begins to close up slowly. For a moment, everything is as it should be. 

“Amity?” I hear a voice call out from the other side of the clearing and Luz pulls away quickly. I feel her hand slip away from mine, and an empty space stands between us where she should be. Nothing is right anymore. 

I don’t have time to see who was calling my name before the pain hits me once again. I feel his grip on me tighten, as do my muscles and I fall to my knees, letting out a cry. The last thing I see is Serena running across the clearing to fall down beside me. She screams my name, worry filling her voice as everything goes black.


	14. Chapter 14

Luz POV

“Amity!” Serena shrieks and she takes off into a run across the field. She pushes past me, falling down beside Amity in the grass. “What did you do to her?” She asks me, her voice loud and shrill. Amity writhes in pain underneath Serena’s hands, crying out every now and then. 

“What did I do?” I repeat, in disbelief of the accusation against me. “Belos is the one doing this. He’s got some kind of control over her.” 

Amity cries out again, her fingers gripping onto Serena’s hand. It kills me to see her like this. I want to help, I want to do something, but Serena has a look in her eyes that tells me she’d kill me if I tried to come closer. 

“Wise words coming from the imposter.” she hisses as she looks down at Amity, her eyes filled with worry. She squeezes Amity’s hand, rubbing circles into her back before looking up at me, desperation clear in her tone. “Make it stop! Can’t you see you’re killing her?” 

As if on cue, Amity lets out a groan, her voice almost gone. I clench my fists, my hands desperate to reach out to her. 

“Whatever you’re doing to her, just stop it.” Serena begs. 

“It’s not me!” I protest as Serena stands, leaving Amity alone on the ground. She’s fallen silent now, lying lifelessly in the grass. “We need to take her back to Eda; she’ll know what to do.” 

“You expect me to come with you to the enemy camp?” she asks, her voice hysterical. I take a step back, holding my hands in front of me as some kind of defense. “No way!” she continues. “I’m taking you both back to the Emperor.” 

“We don’t know how much time she has.” I argue, trying to keep my voice level and calm. “What if we don’t make it back to the Coven in time?” 

Serena shoots daggers at me, her hands clenched at her sides, but I’m no longer paying attention to her. Instead, my eyes are drawn to where Amity lies on the ground. She shifts her weight slightly, groaning as she does so, and turns her head up to look at me. Green strands hang in her face, but she makes no effort to brush them away. Her golden eyes are framed with pain, but she offers me a weak smile. She holds out a shaking hand to me as she whispers my name with the little voice she has left. 

I take a step towards her, but Serena moves to stand between us, holding an arm out to block my path. “Get away from her.” she growls, as she draws a circle with her hand. 

An icky pile of goo appears before me, growing up into the sky until it is a purple monster, leaning over me. I take a step back, my heart beating in my chest. “I think I can help her.” I tell Serena. “You have to let me try-” 

The purple monstrosity lunges towards me, wrapping its sticky hand around me. With a growl, it lifts me up into the air and surges me forward to face Serena. She’s grinning, an unkind smile, as Amity calls out from behind her. 

“Serena, no!” 

“She’s the enemy, Amity!” The anger rises in her voice as her face reddens. “She is everything you stand against, everything you swore to destroy.” she turns away from me to face Amity, who lies helplessly on the ground. All at once, she seems so much smaller than before. The power, the confidence, is drained from her face. She looks younger somehow, scared, like a child being scolded by a parent. “You’ve let yourself become distracted but think of the glory!” She stands threateningly over Amity as she begins to form a circle in the air. “Think of what the Emperor will say when we bring him back her head.” 

As the circle is completed, I feel myself moving through the air again, quicker this time. I land with a thump on the ground as the pain courses through my leg, stinging my eyes. I scramble to my feet quickly, ignoring the pain as I dodge the bolt of magic that is directed at me. 

“Stop!” Amity calls out, and I watch as she struggles to get to her feet. With a sudden burst of energy, she succeeds, taking a few pained steps towards where my attacker stands. 

“Why?” Serena asks as Amity approaches. “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?” 

With that, Serena brings another fireball into the air, aiming it at me. She propels it forward and I close my eyes, bracing for impact. As long as she will get Amity some help, then I don’t care what happens to me. 

There is nothing. No pain, no heat, no impact. 

A bright blue light invades the darkness my eyelids provide me, and I open them quickly. Nothing could have prepared me for the scene in front of me. 

A bright light stings my eyes, and I flinch, squinting to try and find the source. To my surprise, the rays seem to be coming from where Amity stood moments ago. Serena meets my gaze from where she is now kneeling not far from me. Several emotions cross her face, first anger, then confusion, then fear. Without another word, she scrambles to her feet and takes off running into the trees. For a second, I think about following her, but I need to find Amity first. Returning my attention to the blue light, I notice it starts to dull until it hurts less to look at. My eyes focus on the source of the light just in time to see the silhouette of Amity fall to her knees. By the time my feet have carried me over to her, the light she was emitting is completely gone. 

“Amity!” I fall to my knees by her side, scanning her face. Her eyes are tightly closed, her mouth slightly open. She lies inert, but quiet breaths escape from her lips. I breathe a sigh of relief as my fingers trace her jaw. “Come on, Am, wake up.” 

She doesn’t. I have to get her home.


	15. Chapter 15

Amity POV:

I awaken to a light room, filled with sunlight streaming in through an open window. There is an emptiness about this room, and far too quiet. I can hear steady breathing somewhere beside me, and the blanket that is draped over my chest rises and falls with every intake of breath. My eyes open quickly, the image of Serena standing over me still haunting my mind.

Bringing a hand to my head, I am suddenly aware of the gentle breath on my neck, the weight of an arm wrapped around my stomach. Looking down, I see brown ribbons wrapping the pillow beside me like a present, soft pink lips slightly parted, letting out quiet breaths. The last fragments of my memory feel like a blur, and with Luz sleeping soundly beside me, I almost convince myself it was a dream. Almost. 

Every part of me aches, and I feel as though I have been drained entirely of my energy. Despite this, there is a certain sense of freedom about me, and I can’t feel Belos’ control over me anymore. I try to shift slightly, but my muscles ache, screaming for me to lie still. Luz stirs beside me, but does not wake, instead gripping onto my shirt with her fist as she sleeps. 

It’s a strange feeling, laying beside her. I can’t deny that I have pictured this moment a thousand times over in my head while she’s been gone, but I never could have imagined it would feel like this. 

Sunlight pours from the open window, lighting up the whole room. I assume it’s late morning. Allowing myself to rest for a moment, and not wanting to disturb Luz, I take a long look around the room. 

Small lights hang on strings across the ceiling, bringing a homely feeling to the otherwise empty room. I remember Luz hanging up similar lights in our den in the library a couple of years ago. She said they were a human thing, called fairy lights. I told her I liked that name. 

A small backpack sits opposite the window, overflowing messily with clothes and books. I recognise the cover of Azura immediately. My mind floods with memories from all the Azura book club meetings Luz and I attended together. I don’t mean to, but I find myself smiling at the memory. 

The only other thing I can see from here is a small glass photo frame. Inside, it houses a photograph of Luz and who I can only assume is her mother, smiling at the camera with rosy cheeks. They look happy, more happy than I’ve ever seen her, and I can’t help missing that smile. 

My train of thought only lasts a few moments before I feel movement beside me. Luz shifts her weight, propping herself up onto her elbows. She watches me for a moment, a worried expression etched onto her face. After the moment is over, she lets out a soft sigh, bringing a hand up to play with my hair. I don’t think she has realised yet that I’m awake. 

“Hey,” I say, which is so incredibly witty, feel free to applaud my genius anytime you want to. She jumps back with a cry of surprise, the hand that was in my hair now clasped over her chest. As she tumbles off the edge of the bed, the blanket that was draped over the both of us tangles between her legs. 

“Lo siento!” she exclaims, a sheepish smile crossing her face. “I thought you were sleeping.” 

I offer her a comforting smile, not quite having the energy to turn my body to face her. Taking that as an invitation, she gets up from the floor, positioning herself at a distance on the edge of my feet. 

I feel the gap between us immediately, and miss the feeling of her hands in my hair, her weight against me, her breath on my skin. As I listen to her voice, I try to shake away the thoughts clouding my mind and the butterflies tickling my stomach. 

“How are you feeling?” she asks, her voice soft. She reaches out a hand to me but hesitates, bringing it back into her lap. 

I shrug, unsure what to say. “I’ve been better.” 

She nods slowly, looking a little lost. An awkward silence passes between us as we both search for something to say. 

“You’ve been out for three days.” she tells me eventually.

That surprises me.

I have so many questions, but I’m not sure Luz will know the answers. I’m not sure what to say. I want to know where I am, the Owl House, I suppose, but how did I get here? Where is Serena? Is she okay? Why hasn’t the Emperor sent troops to come look for me? Have my siblings called? Are my parents worried about me? 

Probably not. 

Instead, I settle for a more open question.

“What...happened?” 

Luz blinks back at me, her dark eyes clouded over. “You don’t remember?” She moves quickly towards me, touching my forehead with the back of her hand. She’s muttering under her breath in a language I can’t understand. “Eda said this might happen.” 

I catch her wrists, looking her in the eyes. She’s panicking, I know it, I just don’t know how to calm her down. “Luz,” I say slowly, “what’s going on? What did Eda say would happen?” 

Luz swallows, hard, sitting back on the bed. She pulls her hands away from me, instead running them through her messy brown hair. “She said you might forget some stuff.” she sighs, flopping down onto her back, her arms stretched out over the blanket. “We had to use some pretty strong magic to get you back, and she said the side effects could be dangerous.”

“Wait,” I say, trying to process what she is telling me. “Get me back? From where?”

Finding a slight surge of energy, I sit up as much as I can, leaning forward until I can see Luz’ face again. She sits up too, bringing her eyes up to meet mine. Now that my view has changed, I notice for the first time the bandage that is wrapped around Luz’ ankle. She wears a deep cut on her cheek like a battle scar and looks tired, just a little washed out. Everything just keeps getting stranger. 

“How much do you remember?” 

“Bits and pieces.” I say, with an unsure smile. “Maybe you could fill in the gaps?” 

With a deep breath, she begins to speak. “Emperor Belos was controlling you with this special kind of magic that makes you forget who you are. His grip on you was pretty strong, but Eda and I managed to sever it.” She looks up at me, her eyes laced with guilt. “There’s only one problem, though.”

“What’s the problem?” I ask, not quite drawing the line.

She eyes me for a moment, trying to find the right words. I can tell from her face that whatever she is trying to say isn’t good. I look up with surprise as she scoops my hand into hers, squeezing gently. 

“The spell took your magic away.”


	16. Chapter 16

Luz POV:

“I don’t have magic anymore?” 

Her eyes are wide, her face the whitest I have ever seen it. Even her hair hangs limper than before, her ears drooping as the corners of her mouth turn down into a frown. I shake my head, my cheeks blushing with shame. I feel terrible, and the guilt is threatening to eat me alive. 

As if in denial, she lifts a weak hand into the air, drawing a wonky circle above her head. A small blue lopsided circle forms, but nothing else changes. Her eyes dim as she lowers her hand, muttering under her breath. 

“No, no, no.” 

She repeats this word as she pushes the blankets off her, swinging her legs around to sit on the edge of the bed. Pushing herself up using the bedframe, her feet find the floor and she staggers quickly towards the window.

“Amity, stop!” 

I’m on my feet before I know it, travelling quickly across the room towards her. I reach her just in time to catch her as she cries out in pain. My hands find her waist, pulling her into me to soften the blow of her fall as her legs give out. Both of her arms clutch around her stomach as she falls against my chest. She's crying, muttering under her breath. With another scream of pain, she collapses into my arms, crying quietly, shaking gently. I lower her and myself to the floor, holding her in my lap as she whispers to herself. 

After a long moment, the pain seems to ease and she’s left, breathing heavily in my lap. 

“Are you okay?” I whisper into her hair. She doesn’t respond. Her eyes are squeezed tightly closed, her hands clutching the sleeves of my jumper. Without warning, the memory from inside the Coven cell comes back to haunt me, how she told me she loved me for the first time. I wonder if she remembers. 

“I really don’t have magic anymore?” she asks me, her voice small. She turns her head up to look at me with big beautiful eyes.

I shake my head slowly. “There’s only one way we can get it back, but it’s dangerous.” 

“What is it?” 

I hesitate. If I tell her, she’ll want to go, but I know she needs to rest for a while. Instead of answering, I scoop Amity up into my arms, standing up slowly. She makes a surprised noise, but doesn’t resist as I lay her back down on the bed. 

“Why don’t I go check with Eda?” I say as I pull the tangled blanket over her legs. She’s refusing to look at me, and instead stares up at the ceiling. I know she’s upset, but I also don’t know how to help. “I’ll come back up in a bit, okay?” 

As I make my way towards the door, I hear her call out my name in a quiet voice. I almost don’t hear her, but I turn back anyway. I see her lying where I left her, her eyes red and tired. Her green hair, though tangled, still falls around her shoulders and she wears a hopeful expression on her face as the words tumble from her parted lips.

“Wait. Please.” A slight blush creeps onto her face, but she ignores it. She reaches her shaking hand out to me as I listen. “Will you stay?”


	17. Chapter 17

Amity POV:

It's raining. Hard. I've been watching the droplets throw themselves against the window for the past half an hour. When the thunder cracks and the lightning breaks across the sky in great streaks of light, it echoes through the otherwise empty Owl House, casting long dark shadows across the hardwood floor. 

She's not home yet. Why isn't she home yet?

It's late and dark and stormy and she's out there somewhere with Eda and King. If I had less pride, I'd call her. I'll wait just ten more minutes.

It's cold, but I don't have the energy to go get a blanket or more wood for the fire that crackles and dies before me.

My thoughts are as lost as I feel in this house that isn't quite a home to me yet. Everything about this feels wrong, and I still can't quite believe any of this has happened.

We were fine. We were happy. Now everything's all messed up. 

What am I supposed to say to them when they get home?  
'Hi, remember me? I'm the girl who tried to kill you.'   
I don’t even remember. How can I not remember? Nothing about this seems real. 

Maybe I’m dreaming. Maybe if I close my eyes and concentrate really hard, I’ll wake up somewhere else. I squeeze my eyes shut and pray that I'll open them to see my bedroom, all four walls protecting me from this. How cruel life can be.

It’s lonely here, with no one home. I feel so useless, so weak. Even a child could do a light spell, and now, I can’t. With all of the strength I have left, I pray for Luz to come back for me. To take me with them. I open my eyes.   
The same dim lighting of the Owl House greets my eyes along with a strong sense of disappointment. Luz is nowhere to be seen.

Another flash of lightning streaks across the sky, casting long fiendish shadows over the floor. 

“Where are you?” I whisper out loud as I shiver from the cold.

I just want to go home. Not to my house, not to the Coven, not to Hexide. I guess I’m not really sure where home is anymore. I’ve been living at the Owl House for about a week now, fading in and out of consciousness. When I’m awake, I try to avoid the people here as much as possible, even Luz. I’m just like a ghost who occasionally drifts through the rooms, not quite alive enough to do any good, but not dead enough to stay out of the way. 

Yesterday was the first time I ventured out of Luz’ room, trying my luck at the stairs. That was a bad idea though; Eda found me lying on the bottom step when she got back from the market. She said she wasn’t sure how long I’d been there, just that I’d hit my head on the way down. After that, I set up camp on the sofa in the living room, but I don’t like taking up the communal space. It’s better for me to just stay out of the way, up in the dark corner of the house where I can’t hurt myself again. 

The Owl Lady isn’t anything like the Coven told me she was. She’s much kinder, much wiser but with a childlike spirit similar to Luz’. 

Another thing I’ve learned since I’ve been staying at the Owl House is Luz’ odd sleeping habits. She wakes up at odd times, often getting up and sitting by the window for a while. Once, I even saw her take out a journal and start to write in it when she couldn’t sleep. I thought about reading it to quench the boredom, but I don’t want to invade her privacy. 

She said she used to sleep in a bed at home, but prefers the sleeping bag cocoon she’s made for herself on the floor. I’m not sure if she means that, or just wanted to make me feel better about sleeping in the bed. 

I often find myself wondering what life is like back in the human world. It can’t be without its ups and downs, but maybe they’re more accepting there than here.

I look up quickly at the sound of the front door slamming open. The once quiet house is immediately filled with noise as Eda, King and Luz hurry into the warmth and dry of the living room. 

“Hey, take your shoes off, kid!” Eda scolds as Luz makes her way across the room. “I don’t wanna clean up that mess.” 

She’s right; King has left a trail of muddy pawprints into the kitchen, where he has scampered off in search for food. Luz grins, pulling her trainers off and leaving them at the front door. Eda’s magic kept them dry, but their shoes didn’t stand a chance against the muddy forest floor. She watches Eda follow King out of the room before flopping down on the sofa next to me. 

“Hey,” she says. I smile back weakly. “How are you feeling?” 

I shrug, unsure of what answer she wants me to give. “I missed you.” 

For a moment, she looks stunned as her eyes widen and a blush creeps onto her cheeks. Gentle laughter erupts from her mouth as she shoves my arm gently. “That was sappy.” she tells me with a grin, and this time, it’s my turn to flush red. 

“How is everything in town?” I ask her, eager to change the subject.

A soft sigh escapes her lips, as she leans into the arm of the sofa. The corners of her mouth turn down into a frown. “The place is plagued with guards.” she explains. “I don’t think we stand a chance against the Coven.” 

I turn my gaze away from her as her words take a stab at my pride. I won’t tell her how much it hurts me, how guilty I feel, how much I wish I could go back and change everything, but I can’t. 

“What is this, a revolution?” I joke, trying to ease the tension.

She gives me a pointed look, a look that says there’s something more hiding beneath the surface. As she turns her eyes away from me, I can feel the mood shift. Now there is a space between us, as well as her black mood. She sighs again, sinking back into the cushions. Instinctively, I slide away from her a little, giving her space. She notices, looking up at me. Her eyes are laced with confusion and hurt, and I can tell she took that movement the wrong way. I want to say something, but suddenly my vocabulary is sucked dry. With a slight shrug of her shoulders, she stands, moving towards the stairs quickly. 

“I’m going to change my clothes.” she tells me, her hand gripping around the wooden banister. 

“Luz, wait.” She stops, feet already positioned to ascend the stairs. “Will you help me up?” I watch her hesitate for a long moment, before she turns back to face me. 

“Sure.” she says, halfheartedly.

Her feet carry her quickly towards the sofa, where she holds a hand out to me. I take it, staggering to my feet with a groan. 

Her cold facade melts almost immediately, as a worried expression crosses her face. An arm wraps around my waist, and I lean back slightly into the support.

“Does it still hurt?” she asks me tentatively. I’m not sure why, since the answer is fairly obvious. I nod anyway. “I’m so sorry.” she whispers into my hair as we make our way up the stairs.

I pretend not to hear her.


	18. Chapter 18

Luz POV:

“Amity!” my voice echoes against the walls of the empty cave. It’s dark, and the only light I see comes from the end of a seemingly endless tunnel. I am running. My feet are running, but I am moving nowhere, stuck in the same spot.

“Amity!” I call out again. I don’t know why. Shrill laughter surrounds me bouncing back in a torturous echo, and for a moment, I think it is my own, but when my own mouth lets out a shrill shriek, I know it is not.

As if I am a movie, left on pause, I stand, frozen for a long moment until someone presses play. Then I am running again, only this time the walls around me move too, blurring as I pass them by. I head for the light in the tunnel, but it only gets further away the closer I get to it.   
This doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense. 

As I turn the corner, my feet give out beneath me and I tumble to the ground. Only, I keep falling, falling down into the darkness that surrounds me. I let out another strangled shout, my voice swallowed by the nothingness around me. I close my eyes tightly shut, holding my hands out to soften the inevitable blow as I hit the ground. There is none. 

The distant sound of birds chirping makes me open my eyes again. A soft breeze caresses my cheek, ruffling through my hair. I can tell from the blue skies, decorated with fluffy white clouds, that I am back home. The human world never looked so beautiful. The grass beneath me is stained a luscious green, and it serves as a soft mattress that I lie down on, watching the clouds drift along the sky. 

It takes me a long moment for me to notice the gentle laughter beside me, the soft skin of another’s fingers entwined with my own. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asks me between her giggles. Her golden eyes are laced with love and a joy that I’ve never seen in her before. She tucks a strand of green hair behind her ear with her spare hand, the smile never leaving her face.

“Eres hermosa.” I tell her, a smile finding its way onto my own face. She turns her head to look at me, and our eyes meet. As I feel her squeeze my hand gently, I know that I am safe here with her. It is so comfortable, so warm. 

I blink and it is gone, the dream carried away on the breeze just as quickly as it came. I sit up quickly in my makeshift bed, my eyes looking quickly around the room. Amity’s bed lies empty on the far side of the room. Just as I am about to stand up, a worried expression etched onto my face, I catch sight of something across the room. A wooden rocking chair is positioned strategically by the window, a chair that I know isn’t supposed to be there. In it sits a figure, only a silhouette in the darkness, but her eyes glow a red that seems to pierce my soul. She stands up slowly, walking towards me. The moonlight that seeps through the open window lights up her face for a moment, revealing to me dark skin, round ears and a tired face. She wears blue nurses scrubs and holds a pile of papers in her hand.

“Mamá?” my voice comes out quiet and hoarse, but she hears it. She stops walking, her glowing eyes staring down at me. She has moved away from the moonlight now, and is nothing more than a black shadowy outline. 

“Te quiero!” she cries out, almost in fear. The voice is not my mother’s. “Te quiero!”

With that, the shadow folds in on itself, morphing down, shrinking, shifting shape. I watch the moonlight reflect off Willow’s glasses that sit at the edge of her nose. Scrambling to my feet, I retreat quickly, trying to get away from the shadow that chases me. 

“What are you doing, kid?” the silhouette asks me, its long black hair impersonating Eda’s. It holds a grey staff in its hand, while a shadowy palisman flies alongside it. 

I trip in my desperation to escape, falling onto my stomach with a thud. Turning onto my back, I watch the demon floating just above me, eyes still glowing red. The breath catches in my throat, but I manage to drag in the air that I need, filling my lungs about halfway. The shadow changes again, but I don’t want to watch, so I close my eyes, praying for it to go away. 

I don’t open them when I feel a warm hand press against my cheek. I don’t open them when I hear my name being softly whispered. I don’t open them because this is all a cruel trick, a joke or a dream. 

“Luz, wake up!” 

Someone shakes me softly with one hand, the other still touching my face.

Cautiously, I open one eye.

The sunlight that invades the room hurts my eyes at first, but I blink away the pain, instead focusing my eyes on the figure in front of me. Amity leans over me, her green hair tied back in a half ponytail. Her golden eyes are framed with concern, and she keeps her hands close to me. She sits back a little when she realises I’m awake. 

“Amity!” I throw my arms around her neck before thinking, overwhelmed by my relief to see something that I know to be real. “I just had the craziest dream!” 

“I know,” she laughs, sounding a little bemused. “You talk in your sleep.” 

I pull away from her, noticing the pink that dusts her cheeks. I smile up at her where she sits, just above me. Her eyes are still laced with confusion, but she smiles back. “Do you want to tell me about it?” 

I laugh as she lies down beside me on her stomach. She props her chin up on the palms of her hands to listen. 

“It was weird.” I tell her. “Like, I was running from something, but I’m not sure what.” I blush, remembering the feeling of lying in the grass with Amity, watching the clouds move through the blue sky above us. I remember how at peace we were, how right it felt. “Maybe I was running towards something.” 

Amity shifts her weight, turning onto her back. She blinks up at me with big eyes as I now lean over her. After a moment of hesitation, I tilt towards her, moving my hands to touch her face. Her breathing hitches as I stop, my lips so close to hers I can almost taste them. 

I pull back quickly, suddenly aware of myself again. “I’m sorry.” I tell her, quickly. “That was- I’m sorry.” I say again. 

Her golden eyes blink back at me as I feel her hands reach out to me. She says nothing as they find my shirt, pulling me back into her. 

This time, our lips touch. This time I don’t pull away. 

My hand finds its way around her waist, pulling her even closer to me as I close my eyes. I feel hers in my hair, the other still clutching onto my shirt like a lifeline. She tastes just like I imagined she would and her lips are soft as I feel her smile against my mouth. 

I open my eyes again, expecting to see green hair spread out beneath her, her golden eyes looking up at me. I expect to see her smiling up at me with pink cheeks.

Instead, I see a dark room.

I sit up quickly, confused. I can see through the window that the sun is just starting to rise over the mountains. Some of the early rising birds have started their morning songs already, but I can’t hear much else.

A noise from the other side of the room drags my attention away from the window. I stand up slowly, stretching out from the night’s sleep as I make my way over to the bed in the far corner of the room. As I draw closer, I see pale skin, green hair and soft parted lips letting out soft breaths. Bringing a hand to my mouth, I remember the feeling of her soft kisses, so lifelike it feels almost like a memory, now nothing more than a beautiful dream.

She looks so peaceful as she sleeps, her chest rising and falling with every breath. I think about slipping down into the bed beside her, but I don’t know how she would react to that. Instead, I bend down, reaching my hand out towards her. Gently, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She fusses, rolling over onto her back, but doesn’t wake. I smile and stand up, turning away from her to walk back towards the door.

As my footsteps echo down the stairs, I think of her waist length wavy green hair, the golden of her eyes sparkling in the sunlight, the sound of her voice as it plays on loop in my head. Somehow, I know I will never see her in the same way again.


	19. Chapter 19

Amity POV:

I awake to quiet shuffling noises that fill the dark room, sounding just at the edge of my consciousness. I think about just ignoring it and going back to sleep, but when a loud thud sounds from near the window, curiosity gets the better of me, and I open one eye. 

I let out an audible gasp at the sight I see before me. Luz stands, backpack slung over one shoulder, with one leg half out the open window. 

“What are you doing?” I ask her, a little too loudly, and she jumps back into the room. 

She first shushes me before walking hurriedly towards the bed. “I’m going to the night market.” she tells me in a hushed tone. “You can’t tell Eda, she’ll have my head.” She lets out a quiet chuckle before turning back towards the window. 

“Wait, Luz!” she turns her head back to face me, raising an eyebrow. “Can I come?” 

I’ve been at the Owl House for weeks now, and I’m running low on entertainment. Despite occasional jabs of pain every now and then, I’ve been feeling much better, certainly well enough for a late night adventure.

Luz is clearly following the same train of thought, as she eyes me for a moment, hesitant. “Okay, I guess.” she says eventually. “But you have to be quiet.” 

I nod excitedly, slipping out from underneath the covers. It doesn’t take me long to pull on my day clothes and shoes, tying my hair up to complete the look. 

“You ready?” Luz asks me from where she stands waiting at the window. I nod again, accepting her outstretched hand as she helps me out of the window. I blink at her with surprise as I watch her straddle a wooden staff. 

“Isn’t that Eda’s?” I ask as I board the staff behind her. 

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” Luz tells me, a hint of mischief in her voice. “Hold on tight!” 

I do as she says, wrapping my arms around Luz’ stomach as we take off from the roof. 

The Boiling Isles seems so much smaller up here. The houses below are so far away, like I could hold each one between my fingers. The trees become just distant blurs in the darkness as Luz takes us higher. I clutch her waist tightly, my fear of falling stronger than my fear of rejection. She doesn’t reject me though. She doesn’t even try.

The wind whips through my hair, stinging my cheeks which I’m sure are already pink. The moon glows big and bright behind us among the starry night sky, like the perfect backdrop. All at once, I’m not so afraid anymore.

I look away at the sight of Blight Manor, sitting tall and proud upon the hill. I’m not sure why, but I can’t bear to look at it, so instead I look down at the other houses below me. As I scan the empty town, my eyes fall upon a small house, unkept and slightly off from the others. There’s a light on in the window, telling me he’s still up.

“Luz,” I call over the wind. “Can we stop here first?” 

She looks over her shoulder to me, clearly a little confused, but does not question my request.

It’s beautiful up here, and I wish this moment would never end, but soon enough, Luz is directing us back to the ground. As our feet touch down on the paved streets of the market, I find myself heading towards the door of the unkempt house before Luz can even get off the staff. 

“Hey!” she calls out in a hushed voice, jogging to catch up with me. “Where are you going?” 

I don’t answer, instead stopping short at the door and knocking quickly. There is an unsettling silence from the other side of the door, and I let out a disappointed sigh.

I turn back to Luz with a shrug of my shoulders, but she isn’t looking at me. Her eyeline is aimed slightly above me, and I turn around slowly to see what she’s looking at. 

The green haired boy that stands in the doorway looks the same as he did a year ago, if not, a little tired. He’s surprised at the sight of me, but smiles nonetheless. 

“Mittens?” he says, almost in disbelief as he pulls me into his arms. The hug is strange, but necessary, and I don’t even stop him when he ruffles my hair. “What are you doing here?” he asks when we eventually pull apart. His eyes glance up for a moment, falling on Luz who stands just behind me. “Luz, you’re back! Am’, is this your girlfriend?” he asks with a smirk, laughing when I turn a hundred different shades of red.

Luz waves awkwardly from where she stands, adjusting her rucksack for something to do. “Hi,”

A noise from further down the street grabs our collective attention, and Edric is quick to usher us all inside.

The front door opens out into the living room, lit up dimly by a small fireplace in the corner. A wooden table and four chairs sit near the window, decorated with books and potions. Almost everything is wooden, the floorboards, the old-fashioned ceiling bars, aside from the knitted rug that lies on the floor in front of a small sofa. Although this place is smaller than the house Edric grew up in with his sisters, he has clearly made the best of what he has, decorating the room with autumn-scented candles that smell of spices. 

Edric watches out of the front window for a long moment, closing the curtain over the glass when he’s done. Luz has made a home for herself, awkwardly perched on the edge of the sofa. 

“I haven’t seen you in, what, a year?” Edric tells me as he pulls three glasses from a small cupboard by the door. “How have you been? How’s the Coven?” he asks, pouring apple blood into each cup.

“I wouldn’t know.” I answer, taking the cup he offers me. Luz accepts hers with a polite smile, even though I know she won’t drink it. “I left.” 

Edric’s eyes widen and he stops what he’s doing almost immediately. “You left?” he repeats. “What did mother and father say? 

I shrug, taking a sip. “Nothing yet.” I tell him once I’ve swallowed the sweet substance. “I haven’t been home in a while.” 

He nods, his eyes full of understanding. A silence passes between us, not awkward, but necessary. 

“How’s Emira?” he asks me eventually, his eyes growing dark.

I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat as I think of what to say. “Better.” I lie. “She misses you.” 

Edric nods, his face sad, but he doesn’t cry. I wonder if he will once we’ve left. I’ve only ever seen my brother cry twice- once when Emira was too scared to come home, so she tried to run away. Our parents found her two days later, camped out in the woods, cold and wet and very tired. She was only eight. The other time was just over a year ago, when he moved out. I say moved out, it was more like he was thrown out. Our parents didn’t want a son who refused to live up to the Blight name. 

“It’s getting late,” I say to Luz after a long moment of silence. “We should get going.” 

She nods, standing up. Placing her undrunk cup of apple blood down on the table, she heads for the door, Eda’s staff clutched between her fingers, while I say goodbye to my brother. 

“You’re going to be alright, aren’t you?” I ask him, silently hating my naivety.

He doesn’t answer, instead reaching his arms out to me. He hugs me again, but I’m okay with that. When we pull away, he is all smiles, which I am less okay with. 

“Stay safe, okay?” 

I nod, returning the smile he is so desperate to fake. “I’ll try.” 

Blights don’t cry, Blights don’t cry, Blights don’t-

“I love you, Mittens.” 

I want to break, an oak giving up to the storm, but instead I weather and simply reply, “I love you too.”


	20. Chapter 20

Amity POV:

I have to wait until Luz and I are a couple of blocks away from Edric’s house to talk again, so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I don’t even notice her stop walking. I turn to see why, lifting my eyes from the pavement long enough to see her shove a piece of battered paper into her pocket. 

“What’s that?” I ask, as she looks up at me.

“Nothing,” she lies with a smile. “Are you alright?” 

I nod, not really having the energy to say much else as we continue walking. We walk in silence for a while and Luz kicks the run away stones beneath her feet. Even in the dark, I can just make out the features of her face, the delicate curve of her lips, her olive skin, her dark hair falling messily as it always does. Even in the dark, I can see my favourite things about her, the way she sticks out her tongue slightly when she’s thinking, how she smiles like she’ll melt the world’s stares into a standing ovation, how, when I’m with her, everything just feels right, like the planets have aligned and everything is as it should be. Even in the dark, I think she’s beautiful, and the butterflies in my stomach agree.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” she asks, reaching a hand up to rub the back of her neck nervously. With a nod of my head, she continues. “Do you remember, back at the Coven, the conversation we had in my cell?” 

I blink back at her blankly, my face enough to tell her that, no, I don’t remember and, yes, she sounds insane.

She lets out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.” 

“Why?” I ask, curious now. “What did we talk about?” 

With a shake of her head, she smiles down at me, a look of sympathy in her eyes. I hadn’t even noticed, but she’s closer to me now, as we walk side by side. Her hand brushes against mine, perhaps by accident, but I feel her fingers linger for a moment before she pulls her arm away to play with her beanie.

I want to remember, and she knows it. Maybe that’s why she looks so guilty. It’s not fair that there are things I have forgotten, memories that have slipped my mind, gaps in my knowledge that will never be filled. I wasn’t me for a while, and I can’t think of anything worse than that. 

She’s biting her lip. I can tell she wants to say something, but I’m not sure what. I’m not sure what happened in the moment she described, but I can only assume it isn’t good. 

“You told me you loved me.” she says all at once, an explosion of truth from a once silent exterior. I stop dead, my feet unable to take another step, my eyes wide and unfocused, looking at nothing in particular. She stops walking too, and is suddenly even closer to me than before. I feel the heat flush my cheeks and her gaze on me, though I’m too scared to meet it. “Do you still feel that way?” she asks me, a certain hopefulness in her tone. 

I’m surprised by the scoff that escapes my lips as I build back up my walls. I cross my arms over my chest, eager to appear uncaring. “You think I loved you?” I want to laugh, I want to cry, but one glance up at her innocent eyes is enough to melt away my cold facade. She’s looking at me, so intently that I think my heart is one beat away from exploding. It doesn’t; of course it doesn’t, but I can still feel it beating in my chest. “I- I don’t know.” I stutter as I uncross my arms.

The wind ruffles through her hair and I can feel myself drowning in the hazel of her eyes. I look away, the cobblestone path bringing me less comfort than I hoped. I can’t bear to keep eye contact, I can’t bear to come face to face with the truth that I’ve been denying ever since she left the Boiling Isles two long years ago. 

I feel her close the gap between us. I feel her lift my chin up with her fingers, forcing eye contact. I feel my heart skip a beat in my chest. She watches my face for a torturously long moment, her eyes seemingly taking all of me in. Then, she leans in. 

Her lips are on mine before I can process it, and I just let it happen. When her hands find my waist, pulling me into her, I seem to come to my senses, and before I know it, I’m kissing her back. My heart doesn’t want to stop playing hopscotch inside of my chest, so I just let it. My hands reach up around her neck, and I twirl the ends of her hair around my fingers. I feel her smile against my mouth, and all at once I’m smiling too. Her familiar scent fills my lungs, the feeling of her skin against mine as her hands snake up my shirt, just a little. I never want this moment to end, so when it does, my heart sinks a little. She pulls away, but doesn’t go far, as she holds me against her chest. I press my forehead against hers and we breathe in time with one another. 

“You don’t know, huh?” she whispers into my hair, and I allow myself to laugh. 

“Shut uppp.” I pout, sticking my tongue out at her as I pull away to look in her eyes. They are deeper than I have ever seen them, a multitude of stars I never thought I would get to explore.

She smiles softly, bringing her hands away from my waist to zip her fingers into mine. “I hope you know how much you mean to me,” she tells me, but I don’t get the chance to say it back before a burning pain becomes apparent in my chest. I let out a cry as my legs give out beneath me. Luz catches me, and I fall against her, groaning from the agony. I try my best to stifle my cries, aware that we can’t bring attention to ourselves, as Luz looks down at me with a worried frown. 

Thinking quickly, she lifts me up in her arms, carrying us both into a small crevice just off from the main path. She lowers herself and me to the ground, rubbing circles into my back the whole time as I squeeze onto her hand. 

After what seems like forever, the pain dies down, and I lean back against Luz, the energy drained from me. Her hand stays latched into mine as I pant gently, my eyes still tightly closed. 

“Are you alright?” she asks, and I nod, trying to turn the corners of my mouth up into a smile. I feel the blood pumping through my veins and, when I open my eyes again, I see Luz looking down at me. She’s watching me closely, holding me like a bomb that’s about to explode. I give her a questioning look which she responds to after a deep exhale of breath. “Your eyes,” she says, reaching a hand out to touch my face. “I don’t understand, we severed your ties with the Emperor.” Worry lines her voice, and I try my best to process what she’s saying. “This shouldn’t be happening.”

“What shouldn’t be happening?” I ask, wincing as another wave of pain washes over me. It isn’t so bad this time, but I clutch my stomach anyway, letting out a quiet groan. 

“Your eyes, they’re glowing red again.” she tells me, as I look up at her with wide eyes. 

Neither of us know what to say, so for a while we say nothing at all. That is until the pain dies down and I’m left leaning against her warmth, exhausted. 

“Can we go home now?” I ask her, my voice small, and she nods. 

“I just have to get some things from the market first.” she lifts her gaze to the cobbled stone path leading towards the main square. “Why don’t you stay here?” she suggests, standing up slightly. I shiver as her warmth is taken away, instead resting myself against the cool stone archway. “I won’t be long.” 

I watch as she stands, her footsteps echoing against the quiet houses in the darkness. Her figure gets further and further away until she is just a silhouette in the distance, and then all at once she is gone.


	21. Chapter 21

Amity POV:

I watch as she stands, her footsteps echoing against the quiet houses in the darkness. Her figure gets further and further away until she is just a silhouette in the distance, and then all at once she is gone.

This gives me time to think, to process. Bringing a hand to my mouth, I remember the feeling of Luz’ lips on mine, her steady breathing, her smell. There’s something about the feeling in the pit of my stomach that scares me a little. Never before have I felt so vulnerable, so exposed to my own feelings. Never before has a kiss felt more like a promise. Never before have I felt this way about anyone at all. 

I can’t help but feel guilty about that, as my mind drifts to Serena. Although I have no idea where she is, I can most certainly say for sure what she’s doing. I try not to think about it, whatever terrible revenge plot she’s hatching, and instead focus my attention on the shuffling sounds I hear just up the path.

Perhaps Luz is back, although it may be too soon for that. With the little energy I have left, I move to flatten myself against the cold stone, trying my best to stay out of sight. I draw a quick circle in the air, expecting a ball of fire to appear in my hand. My heart drops to my feet when the purple glow of the circle fizzes and dies with no reaction. I swallow, hard, completely defenseless against whoever is there as I hear footsteps approaching, closer and closer. 

The breath hitches in my throat as a dark creature turns around the corner into sight. I try my best to stay hidden, but it’s no use, as the creature pulls me up by my arm and drags me out of my hiding place. I don’t have time to scream before it pulls me into its chest, the sound of its steady breathing engulfing me. Its grip on me is strong, but not painful. As its strong arms imprison me, I know I have no energy to fight back, and no magic to help me. The dark creature smells like summer and smoke and home. 

It pushes me away, latching onto my shoulders and looking down at me. Now that he is visible to me under the dim moonlight, I can make out his expression, a cold unsmiling face with thick red/brown hair growing seemingly from everywhere. He stands the way a powerful lord does when he’s next to the monarch. His eyes are a sea of brown and yellow, like paint splattered onto a canvas. 

Looking up into the eyes of my father is something I never thought I’d have to do again. In a way, it feels like the closest to a crime scene I have ever been. That is, if I don’t count the blood splattered murder I make of my own memories.

He tries his luck at a smile. It is weak and waning but still there, still his. 

“Amity.” He says my name like it is a prayer, or the lyrics to his favorite song that he had forgotten for so long. I try not to melt under his gaze. I try not to crack under the pressure to be perfect. “Thank the Gods I found you.” he says after a long pause. “Your mother has been worried sick.” I find that hard to believe. I can’t remember the last time my mother has been worried for anything at all that wasn’t herself or this family’s reputation. I blink back up at him with fearful eyes. “You’ve been missing for weeks.” he tells me as if I don’t already know that. I never thought too much about the future, but I don’t think I ever intended to go back to Blight Manor. “Come on,” he grabs my wrist and begins pulling me back down the path away from the market. “We’re going home.” 

I struggle against his grip, the fingers that clutch around my wrist stinging my eyes. It’s not a fair fight, and certainly not a close one, as he pulls me along. I trip over my own feet, scrambling to keep up with his fast pace using what little energy I have left.

“No, wait!” I protest, but he doesn’t listen. “Luz is coming back for me!”

“That human girl?” he asks as we skid to a halt. “That’s where you’ve been all this time? With her?” I nod slowly, the fear rising inside of my chest. I don’t want to make him angry, I don’t want to hear what he’s going to say. “And you’ve grown fond of her, haven’t you?” he asks. I say nothing, instead staring up at him with big eyes. “You have feelings for the human.” It’s not really a question, more of a statement.

I nod slowly anyway, my eyes finding the cobbled path beneath me. I admire how each stone fits perfectly side by side, like they belong together. Like they are a part of something. 

He scoffs, staring down at me like I am a child again. I feel small enough to be one. “You really think she cares about you?” he laughs, a dry shallow laugh that ricochets off the surrounding buildings.

His hand reaches out to my face as he drags my chin up to look at him. His voice is a low snarl, his hands holding me hostage beneath his fingers. Fighting would be futile. There’s nowhere I can run to and his grip on me is strong. Ordinarily, I would at least have some kind of magic to use in defense, but now I am weaker than I’ve ever been.

“Oh, Amity,” he tuts, his voice laced with feigned sympathy. “Why would she ever love you?” He grins a little, enjoying the game. I’m not sure what the rules are, all I know is that he is winning. “Look at you,” he gestures to all of me with the hand that isn’t latched around my wrist. “You’re a mess. Why would she want you, I mean, really now.” His eyes are darker now, the amused tone disappearing from his voice. “How could you let yourself be so foolish?” 

I swallow, hard. His words hit me like bullets of truth I never asked for, but I keep my pride. Blinking away the tears that sting my eyes, I hold my head high, staring my father down. My eyes are burning and angry, my face brave, but my father remains unphased.

His face turns down into a scowl. “I know that poker face all too well. You’re coming home with me and then tomorrow morning, I’m taking you back to the Emperor.” 

He’s moving again before my feet have time to catch up, and I’m pulled forward by my wrist. “No, I don’t want to go back there.” I protest, trying to free my wrist from his grasp. It’s no use; he’s stronger than I am. 

The cobbled streets turn into forest floors as we get closer and closer to where I least want to be. Blight Manor has hardly been a home for me, not since I was a child. Where does ‘home’ emerge from just a place where I put all my stuff? The Owl House is where I do all my living, so I guess this house is where I’m dead. The memories from my childhood still haunt this place, like lonely ghosts trying to find a place to rest. 

There is nothing left of my voice by the time the sun rises through my bedroom window. I spent what was left of the night crying, screaming out for Luz. I’m not sure why, since she can’t hear me.

My father’s words still ring in my head. I can’t believe I let myself get so attached to her, that I actually thought she loved me. How badly I wanted it to be true, I made it into a reality. 

There’s nothing left of me by the time the sun rises over the horizon. I haven’t slept, my magic is gone and sharp jabs of pain keep slicing through my chest without warning. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, maybe I never will, but I’m going back to the Emperor today. That’s what my father told me.

Maybe he can fix me, maybe he’ll put me under a spell so powerful that I’ll forget everything. What ‘home’ means, how to feel, maybe I’ll even forget her name. Maybe I’ll forget the messy curls of her hair, the hazel glow of her eyes, the way she sticks her tongue out when she’s thinking and gathers her glyphs in her pocket, how she dances around like no one is watching and writes in her journal when she should be sleeping.

Maybe, if I hope hard enough, he’ll turn me back into one of his robots so I don’t have to think and think myself into corners made of words and nightmares and memories of her smell, her breath, the very feeling of standing beside her, or the oxygen that we once shared. Maybe he’ll make me everything I was destined to become, and I won’t have to worry about morals, or my parent’s wrath, or Edric or Luz or anything holding me back. With the Emperor’s help, I will have the power to be whatever I want to be, and there is no shame in that.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ!!
> 
> I am SO sorry for this disgusting time jump but the chapter that should go before this one got deleted! I really don't have the time or patience to rewrite it, I'm sorry. Everything in the story still makes sense without it though, so hopefully this is okay. I will try to include details of the missing chapter in future chapters too. 
> 
> (the chapter that's missing was Luz telling Eda that she can't find Amity. They conclude that someone from the Coven must have taken her, because she is too weak to get very far alone. While Luz insists on going to the Emperor's Coven to find her, Eda argues that the Emperor has no reason to keep her around, and that it's probably too late for her. In the newfound knowledge that Amity is gone, Luz swears revenge on the Emperor and begins to gather a small army in preparation to storm the Coven.) 
> 
> Again, I'm so sorry. I couldn't be more frustrated XD  
> I hope you guys enjoy :(

Luz POV:

The Coven Building is beautiful, and far bigger than I remember. The large white building is decorated with golden strips, easily four stories high, with large stone towers towards the back. The sun is still rising over the roof, and the setting feels like something from one of my Azura books. 

“This is it, kid.” Eda tells me. “Are you ready?” 

No, I’m not. I nod anyway. 

With that, we start forward, the 7 of us moving towards the building with purpose. 

Eda had appealed to Lilith for help taking down the Emperor. Her sister had insisted it was a suicide mission, doomed to fail, and claimed she wanted no part in it. That was until we told her about her student, Amity, who she had grown so fond of since they started training together two years ago. Now, Lilith stood by their side, ready for whatever they were about to face. 

Gus and Willow agreed to the plan almost immediately. I warned them that it was a dangerous mission, and that they could get hurt, but that didn’t seem to matter to them. They had both grown so much stronger with their magic, and I have no doubts that they’ll be alright. 

Boscha was less easy to convince. As Amity’s former best friend, I figured she would care a little more for the cause. She swayed only due to Willow’s plea, which I found strange but didn’t have time to question. With her, she brought Sasha, who just seems lost. I don’t think anyone actually filled her in on the plan, but that’s okay. A simple ‘don’t die’ is enough explanation. 

The tall wooden doors swing open before we reach them, and Eda holds a hand up for us to stop. Cautiously, she pokes her head into the darkened hallway of the Coven. 

“Hello?” she calls out into the darkness. “We’re here to see Belos.” 

She is met with an unsettling silence. Turning back to us with a frown, she shrugs her shoulders. 

“Well, if that’s it, maybe we should get going.” Boscha says, turning on her heels in the direction we came from. Willow catches her arm, pulling her back around to join us. She rolls all three of her eyes, but doesn’t protest further. 

I step forward, ignoring Eda as she warns me not to enter the building. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but when they do I scan the room for any signs of life. I find none. Stepping further into the room, I notice for the first time, several doors leading off from this hallway. I don’t know which one will take me to the Emperor, so I guess, turning sharply left and up the flight of stairs that protrude from the doorway. 

“I suggest we split up, try to cover more ground.” I call back to the others who are still waiting outside. 

Eda gives me a professional nod, turning right through another doorway. Gus follows suit, choosing his own door and Willow grabs Boscha’s hand before choosing the farthest door in the hallway to head down. I watch with a confused smile as Boscha’s cheeks flush red, mentally reminding myself to tease her for that later. 

I move away from the doorway and up the stairs which twist and turn the higher I get. There are cracks in the rocks every now and then, and I peek through them to see how high up I’m getting. At first, I assume I must be heading up one of the towers, but when the stairs open up to a beautiful ballroom, I know I’m wrong. 

What does the Emperor’s Coven need with a ballroom anyway? 

The room is beautiful, decorated with purple and gold. A long wooden table is set up in the middle of the room decorated with golden silverware. Purple napkins are folded into different shapes in front of each place setting, and drapes of cloth hang from the wooden bars on the ceiling. As I lean back to admire them, I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. A green streak moving across a doorway that stands on the other side of the room. 

“Amity?” 

I move quickly, my feet carrying me towards the door, but as I skid through it into a well lit hallway, there is nothing there. No green haired witch in sight. I sigh, a little disappointed, following the direction of what I thought I saw. 

It’s a little strange that I haven’t bumped into anyone yet, no guards, not the Emperor, no one. Maybe the others are having better luck. Nevertheless, there is only one thought on my mind; have no mercy. Just as I am about to round the corner, I stop, an instinct inside of me telling me not to move. Sure enough, I am right, as I hear muffled voices from further down the hallway. 

“I don’t know, something about it just doesn’t feel right.” 

It’s a man’s voice, low and menacing, yet edged with guilt. 

“Oh, come now, Alador.” comes a woman’s voice. “You should be thankful our family has been blessed with such an honor.” 

I take a step back as their voices get closer, searching for a place to hide. I choose a nearby doorway, slipping into the shadows as they round the corner. I recognize the shock of green hair the woman wears piled atop her head immediately; she must be a Blight. She wears a long skirt and a formal top, with golden jewelry decorating her features. The man, though slightly taller than the woman, looks a little afraid of her presence. He wears a burgundy suit with a cream scarf and a worried expression on his face. His hair is the most beautiful brown, similar to Amity’s natural color, and I wonder if this is her father. 

“What if she gets hurt?” The man asks, a frown prominent on his face. “Magic this strong could kill her!” 

“It won’t come to that.” the woman hisses, turning to face the man as she stops walking. “Just be glad someone in this family has done something good with their life. Our name is sinking further into the mud with every child of ours that runs away.” she sighs, bringing a hand to her head. “Honestly, what were you thinking letting Edric go off on his own like that? Now our name is in the mouth of everyone in town.” 

The man swallows. “I was just trying to do what’s best for my children.” 

“What’s best for them is that they maintain their place in society.” she says, pointing a finger at her husband. “Now that our Amity has polluted her mind with thoughts of that human girl, there’s no coming back from that.” she tells him, the words spitting from her mouth like venom. I peer around the corner, careful not to be seen, at the mention of Amity’s name. “She’ll never choose to come back with us now.”

“What are you saying?” Alador asks, his eyes wide with surprise. 

“I’m saying,” the other witch says, irritation palpable in her tone, “that maybe it’s for the best if she doesn’t make it out of this alive. Consider her a sacrifice, for the good of the family.”

My feet stagger backwards into the dark room behind me. I can’t bear to hear anymore, I can’t bear it. My hands clutch around my stomach, perhaps as some kind of support. This is confirmation that Amity is still alive and safe, at least for now, and my mind is completely distracted with finding her. The Emperor will have to wait.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!! mentions of blood and suffering.

Amity POV:

“Amity!” 

A voice echoes around me, seemingly coming from every direction. It bounces and shudders, ducking in and out of octaves just as I jump in and out of reality.

Click

An empty room. A silent room. Empty bottles litter the floor. A red liquid stains the white tiles below my shaking hands. I’m crying, but I don’t remember why. I don’t remember much of this. It isn’t dark, but it should be. This memory is only half correct.

I didn’t mean to hurt him.   
I didn’t mean to.

Click

A mirror, smashed and broken, the pieces strewn about on the floor haphazardly. In it, I see my reflection; green hair, golden eyes. It isn’t me, but I think it is supposed to be.

The mirror fogs, then distorts, and then shatters completely, leaving only an empty wall behind. 

I look down at my hands in fear. I did that. I didn’t even try.   
I didn’t mean to. 

Click

An ocean, stretching out as far as my eyes can see. Golden sand curving around in a beautiful beach. The cool breeze travels through my hair, and I breathe in as much summer as my lungs can possibly hold. The sun shines down around me in glorious rays of light. Far too beautiful to be the memory I hold close to me.

Where are all of the people?  
Where are all of the smiling faces enjoying the day of sun?  
Why am I always alone in these memories?  
Why am I always alone? 

The dark ocean washes up on the shore, staining the golden coast red. I didn’t mean for this to happen.   
I didn’t mean to.

Click

I can’t see much of anything in this memory. I’m not even sure what this is, or where it’s from. It isn’t that everything is black, it’s not. Vivid colours surround me yet there seems to be nothing at all. 

A child sits before me, 4, maybe 5 years old. She’s smiling, a toothy smile, her golden eyes glowing, green hair hanging in messy strands around her face. Her hands are stained with blue paint, the front of her clothes matching. 

Moments later, the nothingness is filled with the furious shouts of her parents until-

Silence. 

Now, it is red that stains her hands, the front of her clothes matching. 

That’s not how it happened, that’s not how it is supposed to go, but this is how it is unravelled to me. 

It was an accident. I’m sorry.  
I didn’t mean to.

Click 

I didn’t mean to hurt him.  
She knows.

Click

I didn’t do it.  
They keep their distance.

Click

It wasn’t me.  
He doesn’t believe me. 

Click 

I didn’t mean for this to happen.  
The damage is done.

Click

It was an accident.  
Please.   
I didn’t mean to. 

That’s not how it happened.   
Stop distorting my memories.   
Get out of my head! 

I flinch at the sound of screaming, willing it to go away until I realise it is my own. I guess that means I’m awake now. I can’t help but wish I was still asleep. At least unconsciousness numbs the pain, the aches, the static electricity that courses through my veins, taking stabs at my brain and messing with my head.

Back to reality. What is reality? Aren’t those distorted dreams some kind of reality, since they did technically happen, just not like that. 

“Get out of my head.” 

There’s nothing left of my voice. I wouldn’t even know I had spoken aloud if it weren’t for the cloud of breath that escapes my lips on my exhale. I guess it’s cold up here, but I’m so used to it now, I can’t feel it anymore. 

I don’t know where I am, or how long I’ve been here, but I do know this is most likely the end for me. Finding the energy to care is hard, since I have no one to say goodbye to, no final wishes to fulfill, and honestly I'll do anything to end the pain.

My will to fight has long since left me, alone here on the cold stone floor. I’m so tired of fighting. I’m so tired. I have been slipping in and out of consciousness for so long that I’m not even sure what is real and what isn’t. 

I’d say I want to go home, but if i’m being honest, i don’t think i have a home anymore. I don’t belong here, or anywhere for that matter. My purpose is gone, floated off along the breeze. 

My heart is heavy in my chest, unlike my head, which is light and fuzzy. Everything spins, and I get dizzier every second. At times, I feel my insides clamber up my throat, but I swallow them back down where they belong. My eyes start to droop, and I can’t stand to keep them open anymore. 

Click

It’s Christmas time. The room is decorated all seasonal, with a golden table cloth draped over the family dining table in the centre of the room.

I sit at one of the chairs, all dressed up in my favourite black dress, nails painted, hair falling in ringlets around my shoulders. My parents sit opposite me in picturette perfection, serving dinner to the twins, who are also dressed in fine attire. Despite the festive theme, anyone would think it is halloween, as my family are pumpkins with the biggest of grins carved into their faces. 

No one says a word as we eat. The silence is unsettling, awkward, and I want to leave more than anything. This feels real. I feel real. Maybe I have woken up from this nightmare and it is all finally over. 

As a chorus of voices sing a verse of taunting carols in my head, my family stare back at me, not eating, not blinking and still smiling.

Click

I’m at school now. I’m not sure how I got here, or maybe I’ve always been here. The room is an eruption of noise, everyone engaging in their own conversations, but we stay quiet. We have nothing to say to one another. 

She’s clicking her pen again, in a way that she knows frustrates me, but this time, I’m not annoyed. This time, I just smile and watch her pen go up and down and up and down and-

She’s looking at me looking at her so I look down and my page quickly, the smile disappearing from my face. I can feel her eyes on me as her pen stops clicking. She smiles. And I smile. And we’re both smiling. 

Click

I feel myself caught in her smile.  
A city, big and bright that I have never been to. 

Click

I know I am lost in her eyes.  
A sky full of stars that I long to explore.

Click

I know that room all too well.

Click.

I killed the memory of that t-shirt.

Click

Her warm hands meet with the ice that is my cheeks as she lifts my head up to look at me. As her eyes scan my face with a worried expression, I allow myself to lean into her touch. She’s blurry, like a fog of smoke, a magician’s trick, just a wish carried along the breeze. 

I think she’s talking to me, but I can’t hear what she’s saying. Her mouth is opening and closing but no words seem to spill from her lips. 

Her warmth feels so real, so much that it almost brings me comfort. As do her eyes that blink back at me with worry. She smells just as I remember, and I find myself reminiscing of a time when I was her orbit and she was my star.

I don’t want to look away. I don’t want her to leave me again, but I can’t keep my eyes open long enough to watch her disappear. 

Click

She doesn’t. 

She’s still here.

My eyes open again to her dark skin as her arms lift me up into the air. She shushes me as I let out a cry, the pain running through my veins, my muscles throbbing and aching. The pain doesn’t ease, but I am too tired to resist her as she slips out of the door, clutching me tightly to her chest. 

“Don’t.” I try to whisper, but my voice isn’t there. “Don’t!” I try again, a little louder, and this time she hears me. 

She looks down at me, her eyes gleaming with fresh tears that refuse to fall. With a small smile, she shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, babe, for everything.” A quiet laugh escapes her lips as I feel my eyes close.

I keep my consciousness this time, leaning back against her chest. Her warmth passes through me and I shiver, suddenly colder than before. She brings me closer in response, trying to offer me as much of her warm touch as possible. I try to shake my head at her, but I can’t. I have no energy left.

“I’m so sorry, but I’m here now.” She tells me quietly as she checks the hallway for people. After checking the coast is clear, she makes a break for it, carrying me quickly towards the stairway. “I’m not leaving you again, I promise.”

I can’t help but wonder how long it will be before ‘I promise’ turns into ‘I’m sorry’. 

As I feel my consciousness slip away from me, I listen to her heart beat in her chest, the rhythmic thumps of feigned pride pumping, yet I know I am safe in the arms of my ex-lover. 

“Thank you,” I whisper, and the last thing I see before my eyes close is the gentle curve of Serena’s shoulder as she holds me close to her.


	24. Chapter 24

Luz POV:

A smug smile lights up my face as I stand over the body of what once was a Coven guard. His shaking knees and fumbling hands weren’t enough to defeat the glyphs I’ve been practicing with for months.

I step over him carelessly, making my way down the hallway and towards the dimly lit stairway ahead of me. It’s the only tower I haven’t checked yet, the only cells I haven’t searched for any signs of Amity. She has to be here somewhere. She has to be. 

A newfound determination within me, I take on the stairs like an enemy, two steps at a time as I make my way closer and closer to where I hope I will find her. Quietly cursing the loud echoes my footsteps create, I reach the top of the stairs. A Coven guard, bigger than all the rest I have seen today, stands waiting for me. 

Thinking quickly, I duck under the swing that he takes at me, dodging away to the left. He chases me, spear in hand, so I turn back to him. If a fight is what he wants, it’s a fight he’ll get.

He skids to a halt before me, surprised that I stopped running. His hesitation gives me enough time to press a plant glyph onto his spear, and branches of green twist around the handle, pulling it from his grip. I catch it as it flies through the air towards me.

His lack of defense doesn’t stop him though, and before I can process it, he’s barreling towards me in a fit of anger. He tackles me to the ground easily enough, but I shove him off me, rolling to the side to grab the spear that has flown from my hands. My head is spinning as I scramble to my feet, pointing the sharp end in his direction. 

The curved mask covering his face prevents me from seeing his features, but I’m sure he wears a worried expression, his bottom lip quivering as he silently begs for mercy. 

I am wrong.

Instead, he grabs onto the pointed end of the spear and yanks hard, pulling me with it. I tumble forward, but do not fall as he now holds the weapon to my chest, close enough for me to feel the sharp point. Instinctively, I reach a hand down to my pocket to pull out another glyph, but to my dismay, the pocket is empty. My breath catches in my throat as I hold up my hands in surrender. He’s a little out of breath, his shoulders moving up and down with each pant. 

“Walk.” he says, his voice low as he points with his spare hand down the corridor. 

I oblige, turning slowly, hands still up in the air. He presses the cold point against my back as we walk, a subtle reminder not to step out of line. My mind races, a labyrinth of questions, and I can't seem to find a way out. Each doorway we pass is another place where Amity could be, each corner we turn is a corner I haven’t searched yet. I know I have to get away from this guard, but I have no idea how. With no glyphs left, I’m really out of options. 

“Hey!” a voice echoes from behind us.   
When I can no longer feel the sharp spear against my back, I turn around, confused. Eda stands further down the corridor, staff in hand. Her cloak floats around her ankles in a gothic manner, and from the way the Guard grips onto his spear, I can tell he’s heard of the Owl Lady before. 

“Step away from my human.” she tells him with a smug grin.

She advances towards him, but he stands his ground, holding the spear out in front of him. Now that she’s closer, I notice for the first time the rip in Eda’s cloak, the red mark just below her mouth, the wear and tear of her eyes and how tired she looks. I suddenly feel so guilty for bringing her here. 

The guard’s knees tremble as she moves in on him, like a lion cornering its prey. She says nothing, makes no sudden movements, not until she is so close to him, her face pressed right up against his. 

“Boo.” she says simply. 

The guard lets out a whimper, suddenly not as big as I thought him to be, and turns on his heels. He runs away from her, past me, towards the end of the hallway and disappears out of sight around the corner. 

Eda lets out a cackle, slow reels of laughter as I make my way back towards her. “Did you see his face?” she asks me, turning red from giggles. “He was so scared he nearly pooped his pants!” 

Part of me wants to stay and laugh along but the other half of me, the part of me that controls my feet, wants me to search this place from top to toe until I have found Amity and brought her home. That’s what I do, moving past Eda towards the countless doorways that we passed before. 

“Well, a thanks would be nice.” Eda mumbles from behind me. “Hey, where you goin’ kid?” she jogs slightly to catch up with me, falling into my step. 

“To find Amity,” I say simply, not bothering to look up at her. I’m worried if I do I might cry, and If I cry I won’t be able to stop.

“No need.” she tells me. “We’re going home.”

I sigh, stopping short in my walk and turning to face her. “Look, I know you said the Emperor wouldn’t keep her around this long but she’s here somewhere, I know she is, and I have to find her.” 

“Yeah, I know kid, but-”

“No, Eda.” I interrupt. “You don’t understand. I promised I wouldn’t leave her behind again.” 

“Luz.” she says, her voice taking a more stern tone than it usually does. I stop, surprised by this, and listen to watch her. “I know, she’s okay. She’s on her way back to the Owl House with Willow and Gus right now.” 

I feel my eyes widen at this. She’s really okay? I don’t know what to say, and Eda can tell as she offers me a smile. She places a hand on my shoulder, using the other to wipe away something from my cheek. I smile back, savoring the moment before it is gone. 

“Plus,” she says, looking away to rummage in her pocket. “Look what I got.” Between her fingers, she holds a small vile, filled with what looks like green glitter. It sparkles when she shakes it, before she pockets it again. 

“Is that…?” 

She nods. “Amity’s magic.” 

After a long moment, she turns away heading back down the corridor. “Come on, kid. Let’s go home.” 

I nod, following her back towards the stairs. Amity is okay. Everything is going to be okay. I can’t help but smile slightly. So, we didn’t defeat the Emperor, but everyone made it out safe, that’s all that matters for now. 

“Oh!” Eda cries out, as though she has just remembered something. “You’ll never guess who found her.” I frown. I guess I hadn’t thought about that. Willow, I suppose, or maybe Boscha. I give Eda a pointed look, and she grins in response. “That Serena girl. She’s one of us now.” 

My heart drops to my feet as I look away from Eda, instead following the woodwork patterns on the floor. Serena is back? Serena is back. But she won’t stay, right? I mean, she can’t. Not after everything that happened with Amity. As I follow Eda down the stairs, all I can think about is the two of them, together at the Owl House, and I can’t swallow down the jealousy that bubbles up inside of me.


	25. Chapter 25

Amity POV:

Luz is on her way, that’s what Willow said. That’s what Willow said half an hour ago. She should be back by now. Why isn’t she back? 

I shift slightly in my bed, groaning from my aching muscles. The room is dark, despite it being mid afternoon. A layer of cloth hangs over the window preventing the natural sunlight from entering the room. This was supposed to help me sleep, but I know I won’t be able to until Luz is home. Still, it’s the thought that counts, I suppose. 

I don’t look up when I hear the door open, instead choosing to close my eyes and feign sleep. Unless it’s Luz, I don’t want to talk. 

It isn’t Luz; I can tell by the heavy footsteps on the wooden floor. Serena kneels beside the bed or perhaps she’s just bending over, I can’t tell. What I do know is that she runs a hand through my tangled hair, brushing it gently with her fingers. I can feel her eyes on me, and I want more than anything to open my eyes and peek a look, but I resist.

When she pulls her hand away from me, I think she’s going to leave the room, but she doesn’t. Instead, I feel her weight at the end of the bed, where she sits. I can’t feel her watching me anymore, but I don’t want to risk opening my eyes. 

Instead, my mind wanders, trying to put back the pieces of my memories that have fallen apart. I don’t remember much from before I came to the Owl House. The only things I am sort of sure about are what Luz has told me, which isn’t much. The rest of it I have to piece together myself. 

I remember sitting alone in my room with all the lights off. I remember the music playing over, in a loop of memories, a loop of the drums. The tears seemed unstoppable, the pain seemed endless and I remember wishing never to feel again. She was my chorus, while I was a lonely verse. Without her there, pushing the beat along, somehow I couldn’t move.

I remember Serena dancing under the stars, the light from the moon illuminating her face. She was all smiles, half singing, half laughing, half going too far. Dark curls cascade down her back like a waterfall, brown ringlets dancing as she spun round and round. I remember watching her and smiling.

I remember our first fight, my name foaming madly at her mouth. I didn’t point out the irony as she told me how unhealthy our relationship was between drags of her cigarette. I remember how we made up, and she promised never to lose her temper with me again. She lied. 

I’m pulled from my memories by the shift of weight on the bed. It takes me a while to realise it, but she’s moved to lie beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist. I don’t resist, though a part of me is telling me I should. 

How ridiculous it feels that I am so upset over something that only ever sort of was. 

When I hear the door to the room creak open again, it takes all my energy not to sit up. I know it’s Luz; I recognise the way she pushes the door shut softly, her tiptoed footsteps as she is cautious not to wake me. She is quieter than Serena, more careful.

I don’t think she has noticed Serena yet, and a part of me dreads the moment she does. How am I supposed to explain this? Why my ex-lover is lying beside me, why I kissed that human girl in the street, why I’m not sure what I want. If Serena is staying, for good this time, does that mean we’re back together?

This time, I wish I really was asleep so I wouldn’t have to listen to the interaction between the two objects of my affection. Unfortunately, I’m not, and I do.

“It’s true then.” Luz speaks first in a low voice. “You’re back.” 

Even without looking at her, I can tell she wears a scowl. Disdain fills her voice, perhaps because Serena is back, or maybe because I am wearing her arm like a seatbelt. 

Serena hums her repy, her grip around me tightening. I can’t tell if it’s her protective instincts kicking in or whether she has just tensed from the sound of another’s voice. She’s never trusted Luz, on account of being a human. Not only that though, she understands how much it hurt me when Luz left. It seems I have a problem with getting people to stay. Serena doesn’t say anything else, so Luz fills the silence. 

“And Amity?”

I tense at the sound of my own name, silently praying for the conversation to change, silently praying for sleep to come, silently praying Serena didn’t feel me move against her. 

To my relief, she doesn’t seem to, and instead responds to Luz’ half-question. “What about her?” 

Luz scoffs audibly, and I hear her feet moving across the floorboards away from us. “Do you really need to hold her like that?” she asks, irritation palpable in her tone. “I think she can sleep on her own.” 

“Jealous?” Serena asks, her smirk practically audible. I try to swallow back my blush, reminding myself that I am supposed to be asleep. 

Luz laughs dryly. “No way.” she lies. 

Another silence passes through the room, one that neither tries to fill. As I lay in the dark, waiting for a response, my mind flicks through snapshots of what little I can remember. 

I don’t even realise I have fallen asleep until the sun drowns the room in its rays, eager to wake us all up. For me, however, awake is the last thing I want to be. I don’t want to see the look on Luz’ face. I don’t want to hear what she’ll say when we are alone. 

I can hear Serena’s steady breathing beside me, and I know she is still sleeping. Her grip around me has loosened overnight, but I can still feel her weight against me. 

It is not the sunlight that wakes Luz, but rather the persistent knocking at the door. At first, I wonder if the noise is just in my head, but when Luz’ quiet and muffled ‘come in’ rings out through the otherwise empty room, I know I must have heard correctly. 

Eda stands in the doorway, taking a long look around the room before speaking. “Wow, this place is really getting crowded; how many kids do I have here now?” Luz murmurs something in response, still half asleep in her cocoon on the floor. “Anyway,” Eda continues with a smirk, “there’s someone at the door. He says he’s here to see Amity.” 

Luz sits up quickly, shaking herself awake. Her hair is a little messy, her eyes tired and now wider than I’ve seen them. “Who is it?” she asks, reaching for her hoodie and pulling it over her head as Eda answers. 

“I don’t know, some kid.” Eda rolls her eyes. “It may come as a shock to you, but I don’t know ALL of the children in the Boiling Isles, although half of them are now living in my house!” 

Luz doesn’t laugh, instead staggering to her feet and making her way towards the door. She stretches with a yawn, but doesn’t stop, and before I know it, she’s out the door.

I expect Eda to leave too, but she doesn’t. She just watches me for a moment with a strange look on her face. “Are you good, kid?” 

Her question surprises me. Not only did I assume she thought I was sleeping, but I also haven’t been asked that for as long as I can remember. For a moment, I think about lying to her, but I decide against it.

“I’ve been better.” I tell her with a soft sigh. I sit up, gently peeling Serena’s arms off me. My head is spinning and every part of me aches, but I am able to bring myself to look at Eda. “I’m sorry for everything.” I say, sincerity filling my voice. “I never meant to make such a mess of things.” 

The Owl Lady shrugs with a small smile. “My life would be so boring without you kids.” she chuckles. “You make me feel young again.” 

I’m not sure what to say to that, so I simply return the smile. We share in our contentment for a moment, before she looks past me at Serena. The corners of her mouth turn down with a sigh. “You want some advice?” she offers, and I nod my reply quickly. “You need to think about what you want. You never know who you might end up hurting if you don’t.” 

Her words hit me, hard, and I feel them sink in as she turns back out of the room. I can hear her voice faintly calling out to Luz, but not the words that she says. 

What do I want? 

I turn back to look at Serena, that question polluting my mind like a cloud of doubt. Although a part of me wants to hide in my bed and avoid addressing the problem, the better part of me knows I need to talk to Luz about all of this. That kiss meant everything to me, but I’m with Serena now, or maybe I always was. It’s for the best that Serena never finds out about us, and I’m sure Luz will understand that. I can’t even begin to imagine how Serena would react if she knew the truth, so I won’t tell her. Then, maybe, everything will stay the same.


	26. Chapter 26

Luz POV: 

Last night brought us the most glorious covering of snow I have ever seen. Waking up to blankets of white and trees dancing among the falling flakes was like waking up in a winter wonderland. The views in the Boiling Isles are beautiful as it is, but this morning they felt all the more glorious. This morning, it was so cold in the Owl House that I could see clouds made only from my breath. To warm up, Eda lit the fire in the living room, filling the house with warmth and only adding to the festive feel. So, I decided today is a day better than any to put up the Christmas tree. 

I start at the base of the tree, wrapping a long line of fairy lights around the green branches, twirling them up and up until there is no wire left. Next, I take the silver tinsel Eda brought for me from the human world and begin to untangle the seemingly endless shiny material. 

When Amity enters the room, I pretend not to notice. I say nothing as she sits on the sofa, watching me work. Silently, I wonder if she knows I’ve been avoiding her. I thought if I didn’t talk to her then I wouldn’t think about her. It didn’t work. 

Since Christmas isn’t celebrated in the Boiling Isles, there isn’t much to decorate the tree with, but Eda’s pile of ‘human things’ looks like a good place to start. I settle for some clothes hangers, using the little hooks to balance them onto the tree. Eda has a few bracelets, which I loop onto each branch. I even use some wrappers, sticking them on as best I can with what little grip they have. The tree is lopsided, and a little odd, but I love it anyway. I always do.

I can’t help but feel sad at the Christmas cheer I have created. The holidays were always a little tradition mama and I would do together. All at once, I feel so guilty that she has to celebrate alone. 

I move around to the other side of the tree, out of Amity’s direct line of sight, but I can still feel her eyes watching me. At one point, I swear her eyes find mine, because both of us snap our heads away quickly.

I stall as best as I can, pretending one ornament isn’t straight enough, or that I’d rather hang that dog collar a little higher, until I run out of excuses to hide from her. 

She’s openly watching me now, arms hugging a pillow close to her chest. She looks tired, but certainly better than she has been. Her lips are a hard-pressed line, eyes moving over my creation with an array of emotions that I don’t try and decipher. If her thoughts resemble mine at all, it’s no question why the air feels so unbreathable. For a moment, we might be mistaken for a real family. 

With no ornaments left to hang, I retreat from the tree, instead flopping down onto the sofa next to Amity to admire my masterpiece with a successful smile. I turn my head to look at her, opening my mouth to say something, but no words come out. I’m not sure what to say. I’m not sure if I should explain why I’ve been avoiding her. I’m not sure if I should tell her how I feel. 

I don’t. Instead, she speaks first, her voice louder and more confident than expected. “What is that thing?” she asks me, her voice filled with more distaste than confusion. 

I blink, suddenly remembering she has probably never seen one before. “It’s a christmas tree.” I tell her, my voice just as festive as the scenery around us.

“What’s it for?” she asks, not quite meeting my gaze. 

That one stumps me. I don’t quite have an answer to her question, so I just laugh instead. “You want to help me with the most important part?” 

She looks at me this time, instead of through me. Although she’s trying to hide it, I can see a glimmer of excitement in her eyes as she nods her head slowly. Taking her hand, I pull her up gently from the sofa. With a soft giggle, she follows, gripping onto my hand as I guide her towards the tree. 

“Here,” I say, passing her a small lampshade I found among Eda’s things. “It goes on top of the tree.” 

She frowns at me with confusion, but it’s only temporary, as she eventually shrugs and does as I say. On her tip-toes, she reaches out as far as she can, waving the object around as though luck would be on her side and she’d be able to reach. With a small huff, she turns back to me in defeat, her lips pressed into a pout. 

Allowing myself to laugh a little, I spin her back around to face the tree by her shoulders. Then, my hands find her waist, gripping her hips. She lets out a strangled breath, squirming a little as I lift her into the air. I only hold her tighter, careful not to let her fall, as I watch her place the lamp shade atop the tree. 

When she’s done, I lower her down slowly, never breaking contact with her hips. Even after her feet have found the floor, I can’t seem to let go of her waist. At first, I’m worried I am only making her uncomfortable, but when she leans back into me, my worries fade away. My head rests on her shoulder, her skin so close to me it’s torturous. Her smell fills my senses as I breathe in as much of her as my lungs will allow. 

“Oh, wow,” I hear her whisper, “Christmas…” 

I laugh a little as she turns to face me, her cheeks dusted pink. I expect her eyes to meet with mine, but instead they fall somewhere behind me. She pushes away from me so quickly, I am left stumbling backwards. Momentarily, I am left confused, until I turn to see what she was looking at. My eyes find Serena, standing in the corner of the room. She wears a practised frown and watchful eyes, and a death glare that is only meant for me. 

Amity takes a step towards her to explain, reaching a hand out as her pale skin breaks out cherry red. Serena only turns away, throwing a pointed look over her shoulder as she disappears out of the room. Amity calls out her name, following her footsteps like a lost puppy. 

And just like that, everything is back to normal. Whatever ‘normal’ is anymore.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow updates, I've just been really uninspired lately :(
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoy x

Amity POV:

The cold fresh air fills my lungs as my feet meet with the white forest floor. My eyes dart from one side to the other, taking in every ounce of the winter wonderland I can before I am urged back inside again. With so much to see, my attention never stays in one place for long. I watch with a smile, so wide the corners of my mouth begin to ache, as delicate white snowflakes fall all around me. They land soundlessly on the ground, adding to the thick blanket that wraps the trees. 

Luz walks ahead of me, her hands tucked away into her jacket pockets. I can’t help but admire the way she walks, her steady steps as she moves through the trees. She wears a red jacket, decorated with white sleeves and a white hood. Jewels of white snow decorate her hair, and she looks so happy to be here. Her hazel eyes glow with joy and she doesn’t seem as tired as before. 

Serena is somewhere behind me, but I am too distracted by the gust of wind that ripples through my hair to turn around. A shiver takes over me, and I wrap my arms around my chest to fight off the cold. 

I like Christmas, I decide. It is so beautiful, with so much festive joy in even the smallest of things. Eda made cookies this afternoon, shaped like funny little men. Luz laughed when she saw them, so I assume it is a human thing. I don't pretend to understand, I just enjoy seeing her so happy while I still can.

Another gust of wind goes through me, and my eyes water from the sting against my cheeks. In an effort to keep myself warm, I tuck my hands under my arms even tighter. With my vision now blurred, I find myself stumbling forward blindly, rolling my ankle, tripping over my own feet. Serena is by my side in an instant, catching me before I fall into the snow. One arm grips my waist, while the other hovers in front of me so I can hold onto it for support. 

“I’m fine,” I insist, struggling to find my feet again.

Once I do, I glance up to see Luz is also standing beside me, a worried look on her face. She doesn’t say anything, instead watching as I lean against Serena’s support. 

“Maybe you should go back inside?” Serena says, which I respond to with a withering look. 

“I said I’m fine!” I argue. “It’s just my ankle…” 

I try to stand up on both feet, wincing from the pain that shoots up from my ankle. The other two share a look before turning back to me. 

“Look, babe, you can’t-” 

“I’m fine.” I say for the third time, pushing myself away from Serena’s support. Still, she holds her hands out as though I could fall again at any moment. Swallowing back the pain, I take a few slow steps forward, turning back to Serena with a pointed look. “See?” 

She offers me a small grin, laughing internally at my stubbornness. “Fine,” she says, “but we should head back now anyway, else Eda will worry.” 

I nod, starting back down the path with a slight limp. I hear Serena’s condescending laugh from behind me, as well as hurried footsteps crunching through the snow.

I don’t stop when Luz appears at my side, I don’t even look at her. “It hurts, doesn’t it?” 

“No.” I lie with a shake of my head. Another wave of cold washes over me, and I wrap my arms over my chest. 

Luz grins softly beside me. “Here,” she says, peeling off her jacket and wrapping it around my shoulders. For a moment, I think about shrugging it off, but it brings me the immediate warmth I need, so I don’t. I offer her a smile in return, pulling the edges of it around me a little more.

There’s something about wearing her jacket that just makes me feel good. Special, important, loved. In a weird way, it feels like there is some kind of meaning behind what is perceived as just a simple jacket, almost like it is an honor, and so, I wear it with pride.

We both look up at the sound of snow crunching from behind us. Serena catches up quickly, not bothering to hide the dark expression on her face. Protectively, she wraps an arm around my shoulders, glancing over at Luz. I can only imagine the look she gives her, as I can’t quite bear to see for myself.  
We walk the rest of the way in silence as snow falls all around us. 

Never before has a silence felt more lonely.


	28. Chapter 28

Luz POV:

“What is her deal, anyway?” I ask Eda as I pass her the cocoa. 

It’s late now, and we’re both making hot chocolate together. Well, more like Eda is making hot chocolate, and I am watching. And talking. And not helping at all. 

“I mean, she just swoops in here all polite and perfect acting like she never left!” Eda turns from where she stands stirring the milk on the stove to give me a pointed look. Swallowing back my upset, I blush a little. It’s true, I sort of did the same thing. I can’t even imagine how confused Amity must be by all of this. It doesn’t help that she can’t remember everything that happened. I let out a sigh, leaning back against the counter as Eda resumes her stirring. “It’s just not fair, that’s all.” I mumble. 

It’s not fair that Amity hasn’t talked to me about all of this. It’s not fair that Serena gets to have everything I want. It’s not fair that she can walk away from this so easily and I just can’t. I can’t walk away because I always think of her. 

The room is an unsettling kind of quiet, just the gentle scrape of Eda stirring audible in the otherwise silent room. I don’t try to fill the emptiness, instead choosing to wait silently at the counter for Eda to finish the hot chocolate. 

My mind is a mess as I think over the most recent events in my timeline, the most notable being my interaction with Serena earlier. I guess she was provoked by me giving Amity my jacket, but that wasn't enough for her to go off on one at me. She was so red and angry, words spitting from her mouth like venom as she seethed. I think she would have hit me, had it not been for the mark Amity would no doubt see later on. I can’t say I would mind too much; in a weird way, I feel like I would deserve it. 

Everything feels so wrong. I hate seeing the two of them together, and yet I always watch them. Like when you’re driving down the motorway and you pass an accident. Your heart tells you not to look but your eyes can’t seem to look away. 

The empty space she left behind lies waiting for her return, and I try my best to fill it but nothing else feels right. I forgive myself over and over everyday but these are just words without a meaning. Nothing has meaning anymore. No splinter of fragmented truth can be found among the rubble I have made of my own head. 

How can something be there and then not be there?  
How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become? 

The wrong may say “I think, therefore I am”. The more we say it, the more it sounds like “I think, therefore I will be”. You can’t think your way into rooms with locked doors. You can’t think your way into loving arms that you know will never hold you, no matter how much you try. I have thought and thought myself into corners made of words and nightmares, and what has it gotten me but more thoughts?

She is a beautiful nightmare that I will never wake from, and sometimes I don’t want to try. Her name still haunts my mouth like a last meal, and I try my best not to say it, but sometimes I just can’t erase the memories we shared together. 

I shake my head quickly, willing my thoughts to leave me alone. They don’t, but I try my best to pay no attention, as I accept the mugs of hot chocolate that Eda holds out to me. The corners of my mouth turn up into a smile, but my eyes don’t quite carry the same message. 

“Thanks,” I tell her, genuinely. Not just for the drinks. 

She offers me a smile. “Alright kid, you guys have fun, and try not to break anything. We’ll be back in a bit.” she tells me, grabbing her staff from where it leans against the far wall. I nod as she makes her way out of the door towards the night market. 

Balancing three mugs in two hands is a challenge, but I manage to make my way into the living room without spilling any. The second I enter, I immediately wish I hadn’t. 

Amity sits on the far end of the sofa, wrapped in Serena’s embrace. She still wears my jacket, as well as a smile on her face and her eyes glow from whatever it is Serena whispers in her ear. Placing the mugs down on the table, I try my best not to listen to Amity’s giggles, as Serena says something to make her laugh. They both look up when I sit down beside them, and I silently long for the cushions to swallow me up and take me away. 

“Thanks for the drinks.” Amity says, for lack of a better conversation starter. I nod with a small smile. She leans forwards, away from Serena, to pick up one of the mugs. I watch as she brings it to her lips, taking a sip. 

“I was thinking about going home for a few days,” I say, to no one in particular. “I don’t want mama to be alone for the holidays.” 

“That’s so sweet!” Amity tells me, placing the mug back down on the table.

I thought she would lean back into Serena’s arms, but instead she stands, leaning against the table. She offers me a warm smile, one that makes my heart jump in my chest. I miss mama, it’s true, but I also don’t want to leave Amity behind again, especially with Serena. 

“You should come.” I say, without thinking. “My mama would love to meet you.” When my offer is met with silence, I almost think I didn’t say it out loud, but after a long pause, Serena speaks first.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” she says, giving me a strange look. “I’m not sure someone like us would be well received in the human world.” 

I frown. It’s true, they wouldn’t, but Amity doesn’t have to go out. The only person she’d have to interact with would be my mother. Amity seems to come to this conclusion too, as she looks down at Serena with a questioning look. Their eyes meet in a silent conversation that I am clearly not supposed to be a part of. After a while, Amity looks away from Serena’s gaze and towards me instead. 

“I’d love to.” she says with a smile, before adding, “Your mama sounds wonderful.”

“No.” Serena says quickly, standing up. “No, I don’t want you going there.” She takes Amity by the arm, pulling her away slightly to talk more privately. There’s no point though, as I can hear everything Serena says. “It could be dangerous.” she argues. “Besides, I don’t want you going with her.” she motions towards me with the arm that isn’t gripped around Amity’s wrist.

Amity shakes herself free, taking a step away from Serena’s anger. “I’m sure I’ll be fine, Serena.” she says, more scared than annoyed. “It can’t be more dangerous than staying here, with the Coven on our trail.” 

Serena’s eyes widen and she hesitates for a long moment. Then, her eyes find mine, red with anger and framed with fury. “Fine.” she hisses, taking a few threatening steps towards me. I swallow, bracing for impact, but she only moves past me and out of the room, still seething. Her heavy footsteps echo on the stairs, until she is gone completely.

A silence passes through the room, before Amity lets out an audible sigh, collapsing down onto the sofa. I watch her with concern as she rubs her wrist, where Serena’s hand was gripping her. 

“Are you okay?” I ask, unsure whether to make a move or not. Amity freezes, almost as if she had forgotten I am there, and my voice has made her jump. Then, she nods slowly, wordlessly, offering no kind of explanation. “You don’t have to come.” I say, trying to make her feel better, but she only shakes her head. 

“No, I want to.” 

Another silence follows, and it feels like the weight of the world lies between us. In reality, there is only a small amount of space as we sit side by side on the sofa. 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” she says after a while. “I know all this must be...confusing for you.” I nod slowly, shifting a little closer as she continues. “Thank you for being patient with me. It’s really helped me to figure all this out.” she sits with her hands in her lap, almost as if she is afraid to move. Without thinking, I take one of them, squeezing gently in support. She looks down at our fingers, so close to entwining, but says nothing. She doesn’t even smile. “I’m going back to the Coven.” 

Her words hit me, hard, and it takes me a moment to properly process what she has said. Why would she want to do that? I feel her move next to me, and I hear shaking breaths beside me. She’s crying. Why is she crying? I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. Instead, she continues. 

“I just feel so useless here without my magic.” she tells me, her voice breaking. “I don’t want to keep living like this.” 

Swallowing the lump that has formed in my throat, I hold onto her hand harder. I’m scared that if I let go, she will fall apart. I’m scared that if I let go, I may never hold onto her again. “I know,” I tell her, my voice small, “and I’m sorry, but it will be okay.” 

Turning her head to look at me, I see tear stained cheeks. Her skin is pale, her eyes red and wet. She wipes her face with the back of her hand, as though willing the tears to stop falling. “Yeah, well, I’m sure things will be a lot easier around here without me taking up so much space.” she sighs, standing up. Her hand slips from my grip, and I immediately miss her touch. “And with you two…” I follow her gaze towards the stairs where Serena stormed off to. 

I’m on my feet now, taking her gently by the shoulders. She blinks up at me, surprised as I hear my own voice echo through the room. “If you think we’ll be okay without you here, you’re wrong. You’re worth more than the power you hold, and if the Coven can’t see that then forget about them.” Amity opens her mouth as if to say something, but closes it again upon seeing the determined look in my eyes. “What about me?” 

“Luz, I-” 

“No.” I interrupt her. “Don’t leave.” She hesitates, biting her lower lip, her eyes looking anywhere but at me. My fingers grip around the edges of my jacket that she wears, and she’s so close to me that I can almost feel her breath against my skin. All at once, I am reminded of our kiss, what she felt like, how she tasted. I want her back so badly. “Look at me.” my voice is softer now. She does. “We can fix this together. We just need a little more time.”

“What do you mean?” I swallow, hesitating for a second. She must notice my eyes dart away from hers, as her curiosity and impatience grows. “Time for what?” 

My grip on my jacket loosens, but I keep my hands on her shoulders, afraid to take them away. “We took your magic back from the Emperor.” I explain slowly, as though talking to a child. “We just need some time to figure out how it works.” 

The look in her eyes tells me this isn’t a secret I should have kept. She takes a step away from me, eyes wide and hands shaking. I try to reach out to her, but it’s no use. The damage is done.


	29. Chapter 29

Amity POV:

“This whole time?” my voice is barely above a whisper as I try to piece all of this back together. “You knew this whole time and you didn’t tell me?” 

I bring my eyes up to look at her, anger quickly replacing my disbelief. How could she do this to me? She blinks back at me unresponsively, her eyes giving nothing away. My breath catches in my throat. I want to scream, I want to cry, but when my eyes meet hers, all I can see is the mess I have already made of this family. The hurt I’ve caused. The lives I have affected in so many ways. A part of me still feels I should go back to the Coven, but the other half of me seems to think that, with my magic, I might have the strength to take the Emperor on. At least I will die trying. 

“I want my magic back.” I tell her plainly, with a shaky breath. “Now.” 

She reaches a hand out to me, but I step back away from her reach. Her hand recoils in dismay. “Amity, listen to me.” she says softly, and I do. “You don’t understand how bad this is. It could kill you.” 

I shake my head quickly. “I don’t care.”

“I do.” Her statement surprises me. She is so sure in her words, so confident. 

When she reaches her hand out to me again, I take it, allowing her to pull me into her chest. Her heartbeat comforts me as I hear my own heart beat in time with hers. Her embrace is so warm and she smells just like home. She runs a hand through my hair, her fingers entwining with each strand as I close my eyes, leaning into her. 

After a moment that is so long it could have been forever, I pull away from her, looking up into her hazel eyes. A deep breath seems to give her the confidence to tell me what she’s thinking. “I care about you, Am’. So much.” She takes my hand now, clutching it tightly in hers. “Please don’t leave.” 

A wave of anger hits me when something else should. Me, leave her? Last time I checked, it was the other way around. A look of concentration freezes on my face before I really think about what I’m saying. Any warmth I felt before completely fades, leaving the room icy even with the blazing fire and hot chocolate. 

“No.” I growl, shaking my head as if it will help me to center myself. “You don’t get to say that.” Luz swallows, her eyes widening by my response. “Not after everything, not after-” Turning away from her, I allow myself to seethe silently, running both hands through my messy green hair. “Gods, Luz,” I spit, “you- sometimes you’re just…” 

I can’t quite bring myself to finish that sentence. I’m not sure she’d want me to. My eyes sting with the prickle of impending tears. The harder I blink, the more it seems to intensify. A single tear escapes, running like a convict down the length of my cheek. It is followed by more and more until I am sniffling like an idiot, mopping up my mess with the corner of my sleeve before Luz can notice. She does anyway, of course. 

I feel her hand on my cheek, brushing away my stream of tears with her thumb. “No.” I say between sobs. “You don’t get to do that either.” I whisper firmly, my tone holding a hint of something more to it. Still, my current state betrays me, and I bring my eyes up to meet hers. She looks just as pained as I feel. 

“How can I not?” she whispers back as I attempt to compose myself. “How can I learn to be ‘just friends’ with the person I gave my everything to?” 

I take a staggered step backwards, eyeing her up as I try to claw any ounce of information from her face as I can. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

That’s when she hesitates. She hesitates. If she hadn’t, maybe this would have gone so much better for us. Instead, I fill her silence. 

“You don’t get to act like this, Luz.” I tell her, my voice still low. “You were the one who decided you didn’t want this, remember?” She says nothing as her eyes find the floor. She won’t look at me. Why won’t she look at me? “You took everything from me when you left.” I say, the anger fading from my voice. A short silence passes between us before I say the words I really mean. “You were everything to me.” 

She lifts her head, bringing her eyes to meet mine. She doesn’t cry, not even close. “I didn’t think you wanted me.” her voice is like thunder, cracking and breaking through in great streaks of lightning in her eyes. “I wanted to say goodbye but it sounds too much like ‘I love you’.” The breath catches in my throat as she moves in on me. “And ‘I love you’ sounds too much like the letters you stopped sending me.” 

She’s so close to me now, I can’t think straight. I can’t put the thoughts in my mind to rest. “Of course I wanted you.” My voice is barely above a whisper, but she hears it. “I still do.” 

“I want you too.” 

With a shake of my head, I push her gently away from me. I’m not angry anymore, I don’t have the energy to be. “You had me.” I tell her simply. “For months now, you’ve had me.” I scoff a little. I want to laugh at the absurdity. I want to cry for how beautiful she looks, staring down at me with wide eyes. “I would have been yours the second that you asked, but you never did.” 

She blinks, beautiful hazel eyes turning dark. Clearly we have run out of words to say to one another, so I don’t give her a chance. Instead, I turn away from her towards the stairs. I know Serena is up there somewhere, but I don’t care. I just leave her there, downstairs in front of the crackling fire. 

Although I know she isn’t crying, when I find our room I do. I cry until I am numb and every part of me aches. I cry until I can no longer breathe. I break, an oak tree giving up to the storm while she weathers in a way that only she can. She’s so much stronger than me, and I hate it. I guess I’m just not worth crying over. 

As exhaustion takes over me, I curl up in my bed, with only one thought on my mind. 

I have never wanted someone to hurt and be happy so much.


	30. Chapter 30

Luz POV:

The hands on the clock keep on ticking. Every second that passes is another second she slips further and further away from me. I want to go upstairs, I want to finish our conversation, but I don’t know what I would say. I should have been honest with her from the start. I should have told her I loved her when I had the chance, but now I think it might be too late. I might actually have to make peace with the fact that this could never happen for us. A part of me thought that things would figure themselves out and we’d be okay again, that eventually she’d be mine. Now, I’m not so sure. 

I have crashed against the cliffside, broken and splinted, but this time I’m not sure if I can survive it. 

I should be happy. I should be grateful. There’s room in my head now that getting her back isn’t taking up every inch of my mind. I want to laugh at the absurdity. How pointless everything seems to be in a world that never stops moving. How small it all seems to be when you gaze in from afar. How quiet the voices seem to be when everyone stops listening. 

I can’t erase the image of her from my brain. Two years ago, she seemed so happy, in the gentle giggle in her voice, the way the corners of her mouth curled up at the edges when she said my name, the gleam in her eyes. Now, her eyes are only filled with hurt and when she says my name, her mouth is a straight line. 

I don’t look up as heavy footsteps enter the room. I can’t bring myself to move from my seat on the sofa. 

“I don’t like you.” a voice tells me as the footsteps grow nearer. 

“I’ve noticed.” I inform her as I reluctantly push myself up from the cushions.

She wears a look of disgust and anger on her face as I stand level with her. She’s slightly taller than me when we stand beside each other, a fact that doesn’t bother me much. Besides her usual shirt and jeans, she holds a jacket that I just now determine to be mine. Her eyes are laced with an emotion I can’t quite decipher and her mouth is overflowing with white lies. 

“She wanted me to give this to you.” she sneers, holding the jacket out to me. I snatch it from her grip, throwing it down on the sofa beside me. I’m not inclined to believe her, as she smirks at my reaction. “It’s amusing how long you’ve been playing this game with yourself.” she laughs. “I certainly would have given up by now if I were you.” 

Looking through another person’s eyes is like wearing another person’s shoes; it’s never what you think it will be, and often it hurts. As I stare through the window of her soul, not only do I see flashes of red anger and green jealousy, but also a strong sense of desperation. My fists clench at my sides and I try my best not to let her get to me. 

“Whatever, Serena.” I say, the breath knocked out of me.

“Seriously, how long are you going to spend sitting around, waiting for her to miss you?” As I go to turn away from her, I feel her grip on my arm and she spins me back to face her. “Hey, don’t walk away from me.”

I try my best to swallow down the anger that bubbles inside of me, but it’s no use. My fists find her shirt quickly, gripping the edges between my fingers as I spit into her face. “Touch me like that again, I dare you.” 

A glint of weakness shows in her eyes before she scoffs, pushing me off her easily. I watch as she adjusts her shirt, before glaring down at me. “I’m warning you, Noceda. Back off.”

“Or what?” I hiss, my hands balling into fists at my side. My fight or flight instincts are kicking in and I know which one I’ll choose. “What are you gonna do? Insult me to death?” 

She smirks a little, and it takes all my energy not to lunge at her. “Just remember who you are.” she tells me, a hint of condescendence in her tone. “You’re just that human girl who left her all alone two long years ago.” Her voice feels far off, like she’s telling a story from my childhood. Some fairytale gone wrong. My head feels light and I am losing myself in her words. “You mean nothing to her.” I can feel my eyes drooping, my vision turning black. Her words lay heavy on my heart and she is in my head. “You are the biggest lie she ever told.” 

I feel the impact before I feel the shock as my eyes open to see Serena slumped in front of me. She is still standing, but is bent over, as though the impact has left her numb. I wipe the blood off my knuckles with my other hand, wishing more than anything to take it back. I didn’t mean to hit her, I really didn’t. I just couldn’t stop myself. She was saying all these things, and the worst part was that they were true. 

When she lifts her head up to look at me, I am left speechless by the smile she wears across her face. One hand cups her clenched jaw, now raw and bleeding from its interaction with my fist. “Oh, so that’s how you wanna play this game?” The measured quality of her tone is far more menacing than if she had yelled, and it sends a chill down my spine. 

My already tense shoulders seize up more as she stalks towards me. I hold both hands out in defense, but it’s no use, as she grabs me by the collar of my shirt. 

“You are such a selfish brat.” she claims with a smile before thrusting her balled fist to my stomach. I make some kind of strangled noise, but can’t escape as her grip on me is tight. She pulls me forward by the collar of my shirt, then pushes me backwards in a whiplash motion. I crash to the floor with a loud thump, my head greeting with the solid wall behind me.

Letting out a soft groan, I try to scramble to my feet as Serena stands over me. “Stop, Serena.” I say as my head spins. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She doesn’t stop though, instead grabbing me by the arm and yanking me to my feet. Her next blow is aimed at my face, where she hits hard. My mouth fills with the taste of blood, my head light and fuzzy. Still, I hesitate. My pocket is filled with glyphs that could do a lot more damage than her punches can, but I don't reach for them. I don’t want to hit her back. I don’t want to hurt her. 

She pins me back against the wall now, and I don’t have enough energy to stop her. Her eyebrows are firmly set, lips twisted into a scowl. I brace for impact, but she doesn’t hit me again. Instead, she smiles devilishly. “Don’t feel bad, Luz.” she tells me, patronizingly. “It happens to the best of us. You just don’t know when to quit.” 

With that, she lets go of me. The space between us is like a gift, and I slide down the wall to fill it. I don’t know where she’s going, but I don’t bother to ask, only letting go of my breath when I hear the front door slam shut. 

I don’t know when to quit. 

The tears fall freely down my face, and I wipe them away with my hand. My fingers come back red and sticky, which only makes me cry more. I cry in a way that leaves me breathless and with a stomach ache. My knuckles are sore and pale from where they clench into balls in my lap, and when I finally calm down enough to wipe my eyes, I notice they are numb.

It doesn't matter. Now they just match the rest of me.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!! Graphic mentions of blood

Amity POV:

“Luz?” 

The room is dark. So dark that I can barely make out the outline of Luz as she sits crumpled in the far corner of the room. Only the fire flickers, casting long shadows across the floor. She doesn’t respond to her name, a fact that pollutes my mind with worry. I don’t know how long she’s been down here, but there’s a certain atmosphere in the room that tells me nothing good has happened since I have been asleep. I am by her side before I realize it, collapsing down in front of her. A sticky red substance stains my fingers as my hands cup around her face. 

“Oh my Gods, Luz!” my voice is soft, but filled with worry. “Are you okay?” 

She lifts her head to look at me, offering me a weak smile. I run my thumbs over her cheeks, battered and bruised. She’s focused now on my frightened eyes that search over her, as I move her hair out of her face. Her lips are slightly parted and bleeding, letting out soft breaths, and her eyes are set on mine. She brings a hand up to mine, which pauses my circular motions against her cheek. I can’t ignore the soft circles her thumb traces over my hand. 

“What happened?” I whisper, not wanting to look away from her. She sits in silence, leaning back against the wall, never taking her eyes off me as I continue to talk to her. “I try so hard not to care, but you know I do Luz.” My voice cracks a little, and she hears it.

Her soft hand, shaking slightly, still grips around mine. The corners of my eyes are glassy, and I blink quickly in an attempt to chase away the tears. I swallow hard as she reaches her other hand out to me, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My eyes bear down at her, now wide with confusion. 

“What’s going on?” I ask her, trying to keep my tone level. “Are you...Luz?” 

“Serena was right.” she whispers breathlessly, watching my expression melt. “I don’t know when to quit.” 

Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me into her. I let out a strangled sound of surprise as our lips meet and my entire body stiffens, including the hand that is still cupped around her cheek. When the initial surprise fades away, I relax, leaning in towards her to deepen the kiss with my own intensity. Pressing her gently back into the wall, I bring a hand into her hair, aching to be closer to her. Through all of this, I don’t try to force our lips apart, because I am sure that if I do, realization will dawn on me and the moment will be broken. 

She pulls away first, bringing both hands towards me. I allow her to pull me gently down towards her, falling down at her side. We sit together for a long while, my head resting on her shoulder as she runs a hand through my hair. We sit in comfortable silence, and everything feels warm and safe. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” I ask her after the longest time. She shakes her head, so I don’t ask anymore questions, instead waiting for her to say something. 

“Your girlfriend is going to kill me.” she eventually declares with a soft laugh.

I frown, realization hitting me. “Is that what- did Serena…?” 

She says nothing. I don’t think I really expected her to. Her eyes are filled with the kind of emotion that isn’t meant to be shown. My whole life, I’ve been told that to feel is to be weak, but now I have never thought Luz to be stronger. 

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it.” I lie, looking down at the blood staining my hands. “I’m sure it was an accident.” My voice isn’t more than a whisper as I lift my head off Luz’ shoulder. “I’m sure if I just talk to her she’ll-” I am cut off by the look Luz gives me, like I should have known she was like this. 

The truth is, I did. But no one around me said anything. So I didn’t say anything. Instead, I succumbed to my silence, choosing pruning as a means of growth. Survival. No promise, just an exercise of will behind a wet smile. I don’t try to fight it, as I don’t see a way out of this. 

Letting out a sigh, I lean back against Luz’ shoulder, listening to her steady breathing. I reach a hand down to hers, holding it between my fingers and gently tracing her knuckles, now bloody and bruised. I have so many questions, but I’m not sure Luz would know the answers. I’m not sure she’d even tell me if she did. 

We both say nothing, sitting in the comfortable silence of each other's presence, our fingers entwined, breaths correlated. For a moment, it feels like two years ago, when we were young and happy and naïve. For a moment, I almost forget who we are. 

After a long time, our silence is broken. “What now?” Luz asks me, her grip on my hand tightening just a little in a way that lets me know she never wants to let go. 

“I don’t know.” my voice is quiet and hoarse, so I try again. ”I mean, I don’t- you said you…” I swallow unable to find the words, before shrugging in defeat. “I don’t know.” 

Luz shifts slightly, leaning over to place a soft kiss onto my forehead. A smile finds its way onto my face, as I lean into her, squeezing her hand gently. Neither of us know what to say, so we settle for silence, just enjoying each other’s presence as both of our minds race.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!! Slight blood

Luz POV:

I’m not sure how long we sit there, side by side on the floor. Our fingers entwine, our minds race, our hearts beat in time with one another’s. And it's quiet. A nice kind of quiet. The kind of quiet that lets me think, but doesn’t allow me to drown in my thoughts. 

I imagined loving her to be as easy as breathing. In this reality I invented for myself, we would rise and set like the sun everyday, and stolen moments together would be the grounds for a happy day. This is all so much more complicated than I thought it would be. It hurts, and it’s hard.

If there’s a word to describe the way I feel about her, I am yet to learn its name. It’s like, no matter how far away she is, she is never really gone, because she always sits somewhere at the front of my mind. She’s in my head all the time, even when I don’t want her to be. Even when I don’t want to love her anymore. I know she will never truly be gone, because I will love her until her face is fogged with distant memory and her name is one I can’t quite remember.

I wonder if one day I’ll forget her birthday. I’ll pass it by with as much ease as one passes by a regular day. Only, it won’t be a regular day, it will be her day but I won’t remember. I wonder if one day I’ll look up at the stars without thinking of her. I’ll count them in their infinite capacity and I won’t stop to wonder if she’s looking up at them too. I wonder if one day I’ll be able to breathe the same air as her without thinking about who else is kissing her. 

I can’t sleep because Serena doesn’t kiss her right. She doesn’t care if it isn’t perfect. I want her back so bad. I would have taken a bullet and died for her. I would have taken on the Emperor. I would have risked it all. I did. I did it all, for her. 

I’m human. I’m from a completely different world. This is going to end one day, isn’t it? I’m going to be alone again, aren’t I? Coming here is the best thing that ever happened to me. She is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can’t give that up. 

I feel her move against me, her steady breaths on my neck, her fingers entwined in mine. I twirl the ends of her hair around my finger, breathing in as much of her as my lungs will allow. 

“Everything is going to be okay, right Luz?” her voice is small and hopeful, but I can’t bring myself to tell her that it is, because, what if it isn’t? Instead, I say nothing, only holding her tighter. I don’t want to let her go again. I don’t want to know what will happen when Serena comes home. 

Just then, the sound of the front door steals our collective attention, and I feel Amity sit up quickly. When I see Eda’s shock of white hair and signature red dress stumble through the doorway, I release a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. She’s cursing under her breath, muttering something inaudible, but when her eyes fall on Amity and I on the floor in the dark room, she falls silent. 

“Luz?” She calls out into the darkness. With a single circular movement, all the lights flicker back to life. “What’s going on?” she asks, coming closer. “Are you bleeding?” 

Oh, yeah. I had almost forgotten about the sticky red substance that stains my hands and face. Now that the lights are on, I can see Amity’s hands are covered too. She looks tired and worn, her pale skin washed out in the new lighting. Though her hair is a little messy, it still flows down around her shoulders in an emerald waterfall. 

I don’t flinch when Eda’s hands find my face, tracing over my features with soft fingers. She holds a hand out to me, and I take it. With a low groan, I allow myself to be pulled to my feet, my hands clutching my stomach which still aches from Serena’s blow. From behind me, I hear Amity also climb to her feet, but I don’t turn back to look at her. 

A supportive arm finds its way around my waist as Eda helps me hobble over to fall down on the sofa. A worried expression is etched onto her face as she says something to Amity. I don’t hear what words she says, but I do watch the green haired girl nod in response before walking quickly towards the stairs. I don’t want her to leave, but she does without even looking back. 

“What happened here, kid?” Eda asks me, as she moves to block my view of the stairs. I sigh, turning away from her. “Hey, you got blood all over my floor, the least you can do is explain what’s going on.” 

She has a point. It’s not that I don’t want to tell her, it’s just that if I say it out loud, it becomes even more undeniable. The truth is a difficult thing, because the truth can shift and change, but I tell her what I know to be true as best as I can. 

“Serena and I had...a thing and I- well it didn’t end too well for me.” 

Eda let’s out a gentle sigh, moving out of my line of vision. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” her voice calls out from somewhere behind me. “That girl is, like, twice your size.” 

A scoff escapes my lips before I can stop it, and I cross my arms over my chest defensively. “It’s not like it was a very fair fight! I didn’t hit her back.” 

Eda returns around the edge of the sofa, lowering herself down beside me. As her hands reach out to me, I feel something wet and cold on my skin. Since I trust Eda fully, I don’t ask what she’s doing, instead just listening to her voice. 

“So you just let yourself get beaten up?” Eda asks, a slight hint of a smirk in her voice. “She may be bigger than you, but when it comes to magic you could take her out, no question.” 

I sigh softly, my response so low she almost doesn’t hear it. “I didn’t want to hurt her.” 

Of course, because it’s Eda, she does hear me, and knows exactly what I mean. “You mean you didn’t want to hurt Amity.” Her words take me by surprise, and I hesitate, the breath stuck in my throat, before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I knew it, kid. I see the way you look at her.” 

The breath chokes me, and then comes back up in a spluttered gasp. I’m sure my cheeks are fiery red, but I try to swallow back how flustered I am by Eda’s statement. “Wha- what do you mean?” 

“Oh, come on, you guys are crazy for each other.” Eda laughs, finally retreating from my face. “Even a moron could see that.”

I’m not angry, just frustrated, and I can feel my tone rising as the words claw their way up my throat. “Then why doesn’t she want me?” 

Eda sighs, folding her hands neatly away into her lap. Her fingers still clutch around the damp cloth she used to clean up my cuts and scrapes. In a strange way, I feel like a child again. Eda’s motherly touch recreates the way my mama used to look after me when I was a little girl. How long ago that seems, before I even knew what heartache is. 

“You want to know why Amity is with her and not you?” she asks me, her speech clear and slow. I nod, my eyes scanning her face for the answer. “Because Serena actually asked.” 

Her words sink in, and it takes me a moment to process them. Eda’s weight shifts on the sofa next to me as she stands and walks back around the edge of the sofa. “It’s too late.” I shrug. “She’s with her now.” 

“After this, I wouldn’t be so sure.” As I find my way back to my feet, I turn to face Eda who stands with a bowl of water, and a cloth, both stained red. “She’s a good kid. She’s smart.” Eda continues, wringing out the cloth so the red liquid cascades into the bowl beneath it. “She’ll know what to choose.” I nod along as Eda tells me everything I’ve been longing to hear. She turns to me, with a glint in her eye, and a smile that says more than words can describe. “Go get her, kid.”


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild content warning for this chapter!! 
> 
> Just wanna say thank you so much to my amazing friends who I know will read this ehehe. You guys have been so supportive through all this and I love you so much. Thanks for reading :)
> 
> Enjoy!! <3

Amity POV:

The rain dances across the night sky, leaving droplets sliding down the window. They slip gracefully into the puddles outside, leaving their marks behind in ripples across the surface.   
The sun has slipped quickly down the edge of the horizon, like a soapy plate from wet hands, leaving the Isles in darkness. Only the light of the moon pierces the blackness. 

My mind is a pleasant little ghost town, not a car or other person in sight. I am walking along the main road alone, and the only sound ringing out in the quiet street is the steady tapping of my shoes greeting the pavement. 

Only, I’m not in a pleasant little ghost town. And I'm certainly not alone.   
It’s busy, with the kind of bustle that I usually enjoy from the market, but this time it is loud. The rain comes down with a certain intensity and it hurts my head. Now I’m wet and cold, shivering as I walk down a street that I’ve never even seen before. 

In reality, I’m in my bedroom at the Owl House, battling with the voices in my head for some kind of peaceful quiet, but none comes. My seat at the window, though comfortable, brings me little ease, as I know Luz is somewhere downstairs with Eda. I know they’ll both have something to say to me. Worst of all, I know Serena will be home soon. 

“Amity?” 

The voice makes me jump. I hadn’t heard footsteps on the stairs, or the door creak open. I hadn’t heard anything except the rain on the window and my heart beating in my head. Turning quickly, my eyes fall on Luz who stands, a little disheveled, in the doorway. 

My bare feet find the cold floor quickly, and I call out her name. As I approach her, I notice the look in her eyes. She’s watching me with a kind of intensity I’ve never seen before. I’m standing in front of her now, just watching her watching me. “Are you alright?” 

She nods her head, but the cut across her lip and dark bruising along her cheek say otherwise. All at once, I feel so guilty for bringing Serena here. I don’t blame her for what happened, I only feel bad that I should have known something like this would happen if I left these two alone together. It was inevitable really, but the shame still burns at my cheeks. 

“I’m so sorry, Luz.” I tell her, my eyes finding the floor. “I never meant for you to get hurt.” I don’t stop as I feel her take my hand in hers. “I never meant for any of this to happen.” 

When I bring my eyes back up to meet hers, I notice that her eyes are slightly blurred with tears. She tries to blink them away, but I’ve seen them now. Instead, she smiles through them, squeezing my hand. “I would have taken a bullet and died for you.” she tells me simply, her voice softer than I’ve ever heard it. “This is nothing.” 

I don’t know what to say, but I don’t think she expects me to. She seems to have something else on her mind. 

“I remember the first time I saw you and her together.” she tells me, walking across the room towards the bed. The hand that still holds mine guides me along with her, and I follow willingly. “It was my first day back at Hexide.” she continues as we both sit down. “You were both standing by your locker before the first lesson.” I don’t know why she’s telling me this, but I listen anyway. “When the bell rang, she kissed you and left to go to class. And as she walked away, you turned around and saw me watching you.”

My cheeks flush red without warning, and I pull my hands away from her and place them in my lap. It’s true, I did see her. But I didn’t say anything. I’m not sure why.

Luz is looking at me now. Her hazel eyes bear down at me with the same intensity they carried before. I can tell she has something to say, she just doesn’t know how to say it. 

“What I mean to say is, I knew from the moment I saw her that we wouldn’t get along.” she laughs a little, still watching me. “I just don’t know when to quit.”

I can almost hear the breath catch in her throat as she struggles to find the words. A part of me wants to fill in the gaps for her, but I’m scared of getting it wrong. “What are you trying to say?” I ask her, my voice small. 

Letting out a gentle sigh, she turns to me, taking both of my hands in hers. “Do you want this?” 

My hesitation hangs in the air for a long moment, before my voice fills the silence I created. “I want you.” A smile breaks across Luz’ face, until I finish my sentence. “But I’m scared. I don’t want you to get hurt again.” Her smile fades, as does the light in her eyes. “And I love Serena. I don’t want to hurt her again-”

“How can you say you love her when she hurts you like this?” Her words catch me off guard, piercing my heart like a broken promise. I can feel the pain of it sting my eyes, but I blink away the watery weakness. “I know you want time to sort everything out, but it won’t.” She isn’t angry, but her voice is strong and sure. “This is our chance to be together, without anyone or anything standing in our way.” 

I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. There are so many things I want to say, but I just can’t find the right words. “I’m afraid.” I tell her again, turning to look away from her. “I don’t want to start a war.” 

“Perhaps a war is inevitable, but we are a separate issue.” Her hands find my face, lifting my chin up to look at her. I feel my heart leap in my chest as she does so. “Maybe we have time, if you need it, but I’m asking you now. I’m asking you, Amity.” There’s something about the way she says my name that makes me forget who I am. “I want this. I want you.” 

I don’t think. I don’t hesitate. I don’t stop to wonder if this is a good idea. I just press my lips onto hers, drowning out the voices in my head with the sound of her breathing. She doesn’t hesitate either, her hands finding my waist quickly. I don’t stop as she pulls me onto her. She seems greedier than I feel, her hands exploring me. I let them. Somehow, this feels all too familiar, like my body knows hers. The way her hands greet my skin doesn’t feel new. It feels right and comfortable and safe. 

I pull away first, sitting up a little as I gasp for air. She grins at my innocence beneath me, her fingers gripping around my waist gently. “I love you.” I tell her as we breathe for a moment. 

Then, she takes me my surprise, pulling my hips forward and flipping me onto my back. Her lips are so close to mine, I can almost taste them, her breath so close, I can feel it. Still, she hesitates, leaning over me with big hazel eyes.

“I love you too.” 

Every inch of me smiles. My heart leaps, my stomach twists and my hands reach out to her, pulling her into me again. We seal the promise with a kiss. It’s soft at first, but the intensity steadily begins to grow until we’re both gasping.


	34. Chapter 34

Amity POV:

The scream is what wakes me, and I let out a shriek of my own when I recognize the silhouetted stranger who made the noise. I don’t have long to fixate on Serena’s reaction though, as another surge of electricity passes through me, and my vision goes black again. I feel myself writhe in pain against the wooden table, kicking and screaming as though this is the end.

Eda’s voice attempts to calm me, but I don’t listen to the words she says. I can’t listen. Every part of me aches and screams for the pain to stop, but I allow it to continue its course through my veins, as Luz squeezes onto my hand supportively. I try to open my eyes, but my eyelids are too heavy. I want to see Luz’ face. I want her familiar brown hair and hazel eyes to bring me some kind of comfort, but they can’t. I am alone in the darkness. 

“Amity!” I hear my own name echoing around me. The pain dulls more and more until it’s gone, and I am left lying alone on the cold surface beneath me. I open my eyes. 

It’s dark, so dark that I can’t see anything at all. Sitting up, I rub my head, looking around in the blackness for signs of anything at all. The only light I can see comes from the end of a seemingly endless tunnel. 

“Amity!” the voice calls out again. I know that voice; it’s Luz’ voice. 

I am running now. I don’t remember standing up, but it seems my feet are running now. Only, I am stuck in the same spot, moving nowhere. Shrill laughter surrounds me, bouncing back in a torturous echo. It takes me a moment to realize it is my own.

I stand, frozen for a moment, my mind racing while my legs should be. Then, all at once, I come back to life, running again. Only, this time, the walls around me move too, blurring as I pass them by. I head for the light at the end of the tunnel that only seems to move further away the closer I get to it. I am running away from the footsteps that sound from behind me. I don’t know who it is, but I don’t want to find out. I don’t know where I am. I don’t know why I’m here. This doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense. Maybe it isn’t supposed to.

As I turn the corner, my feet give out beneath me and I tumble to the ground. I close my eyes tightly, reaching a hand out in front of me to soften the inevitable blow as I hit the floor, and it does, sending a shock of pain from my wrist. The light from the tunnel is gone, and I’m plunged into darkness again. As I clutch my injured wrist, I let out a strangled cry, my voice eaten up by the nothingness that surrounds me. 

Then, somewhere amongst the darkness, a gentle flicker of light illuminates the blackness, like a match holding a single flame. It sends mysterious shadows up the cave walls, moving like lonely ghosts as the flame glows. I watch as its purple light crackles and dies before me. 

Trying again, I summon as much strength as I can. This time, the flame is bigger, brighter, and it lights up the whole cave. Holding it in my hand is a gift. Knowing I created that fire is a miracle. 

I stagger to my feet, concentrating all my energy on the purple fire in my hand. A gentle breeze passes through my hair, making the light dance a little, but it does not blow out. Turning to face the direction of the wind, my eyes settle on the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally, it feels as close as it should be. I walk towards it quickly, my pace becoming faster until I am running. The flame in my hand douses, and I let it, filled with the newfound hope that the exit gives me. 

As I break out into the sunlight, I am hit with warmth. The distant sounds of birdsong fill my heart as my bare feet greet with the soft grass. A gentle breeze caresses my cheek, moving through my hair. The sky is the brightest shade of blue I have ever seen, unlike its usual orange or pink. Light fluffy clouds, as white as white can be, drift along the breeze. Never before has a scene looked quite so beautiful, as though I am in an Azura book.

The grass beneath me is stained a luscious green, and it takes me a moment to notice the human sprawled out across it like it is a mattress. She’s watching the sky, the clouds decorating the skyline. Before I know it, I am lying down beside her and taking her hand in mine. As our fingers entwine, I let out gentle laughter, pure joy escaping my lips. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” I ask between giggles. I tuck a run away strand of green hair behind my ear with that hand that isn’t holding hers. 

She looks up at me, her hazel eyes laced with love and happiness that I’ve never seen in her before. “Eres hermosa.” she tells me, a smile finding its way onto her own face. Although I don’t speak her language, I know exactly what she means. 

As I gently squeeze her hand, I know that I am safe here with her. It’s so comfortable, so warm. But soon, it is gone, carried away along the breeze. 

Pain surges through my body again, burning inside of my chest. I can’t seem to move, but if I could, every part of me would be tense and I would be writhing in agony. All at once, I know where I am again. Reality hits me so suddenly, it hurts. My body starts to shiver as the heat runs from my head down my spine. I can feel Luz’ hand still latched onto mine like a lifeline, only this time, that might actually be true. I keep reminding myself that there is so much left to live for, because if I don’t, I might succumb to the pain and just let death take me. Instead, I fight, with everything I am, to make it out of this. I will be okay. I have to be okay. I don’t have a choice. 

I can’t give in to the seduction of safety and simplicity, because if I do, where will I go? Where will I end up? What will happen to the people who I leave behind?

My body aches, my lungs burn and I can hear my own screams deafening me. How badly I want to tell myself to quiet the noise.

For a moment, I almost believe that the breath will find its way back into my body and I will shudder back to life. That I will sit up laughing at the absurdity. That maybe, just maybe, we can keep each other breathing. 

Before I know it though, I’m sinking, falling down beneath the waves that swear to drown me. I am strong, putting up a fight, but the wintry waves keep on coming, each one seemingly larger than the last. They spin me around, lifting me high into the air and hurling me back down into the freezing depths below. They force me deeper and deeper down until the light from above the surface of the water seems even further away. Even in the few terrified seconds I manage to break through the surface, I am shaking so badly I am only able to catch half a lungful of breath, before I am pulled back under. It isn’t enough, and it grows less each time. My lungs burn, and I feel a terrible yearning in my chest as I ache for more air to breathe. The icy tide pulls me further out to sea with every wave, pushing me away from the beach. I know I’ve drifted too far from the shore to make it back. I know it’s too late for me. I will die, and I will die alone. 

Another wave pushes me down, and this time, I can’t swim back towards the surface. I’m sinking, down and down until the sinking becomes falling. I keep falling down into the darkness that surrounds me. The water is gone, I can breathe again, and I am alone in the nothingness once again. I close my eyes tight, praying to wake up somewhere else, praying for the blackness to go away. 

I don’t open them when I feel warm fingers curl around my hand. I don’t open them when Eda’s familiar voice fills my ears. I don’t open them when I hear my own name being softly whispered. I don’t open them, because this is all a cruel trick, a joke or a dream. 

“Come on, Am’, wake up.” 

A warm hand cups my cheek, stroking in circular motions on my skin.   
Cautiously, I open one eye, then the other. 

Sunlight invades the room, stinging my eyes, but I blink away the pain. Instead, I focus my vision on the dark haired girl who still strokes my face gently. She leans over me, her hazel eyes framed with concern. When she realizes I am awake, she lets out a sigh of relief, sitting back a little, but keeping her hands close to me. 

“Oh, gracias Dios.” she breathes, clutching my hand. 

“Did it work?” I try to ask her, but the words catch in my throat. I sit up as much as I can, coughing away the weight that lays on my chest. Then, I try again. “Is it over?” My voice comes out quiet and hoarse, but she hears it and so does Eda. 

“Yeah, it worked.” the Owl Lady tells me from where she stands at the table. “That can’t have been easy for you. You're a brave kid.”

I am hit with a sense of pride that travels through me. A weak smile finds my face, and I offer it to Eda. She smiles back. My attention returns to Luz, as she lifts my hand up to her face and kisses it gently. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?” Her voice fills the room like a reminder no one asked for. She stands, breathing furiously at the door, her fists clenched like a warning. Eyes burning red, she turns to Luz. “What the hell did you do to her?” 

“I’ll give you guys a minute.” Eda tells us, before gathering a few things and slipping past Serena out the door.

Luz stands, leaving me behind. “We gave her back the magic that YOU helped the Emperor take from her.” she tells Serena, her voice a low growl. “Or have you forgotten that you’re one of them? That you’re the one who did this to her?” 

Serena says nothing, instead pushing past Luz and moving towards me. Her expression melts as soon as she reaches my side. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

Luz glares angrily behind her as Serena gently strokes my hair. I’m thankful that she doesn’t say anything. I still need some time to figure out what to tell Serena. 

“I’m fine.” I smile, sitting up properly. My body aches, but I’m not as tired as I feel I should be. I guess my magic gave me some of my strength back. “I need to talk to you about something though.” 

Serena looks surprised for a moment, before responding. “Actually, I need to talk to you about something too.” 

With a nod of my head, I turn back to Luz, who is still seething in the corner. “Luz, maybe you should…?” I motion towards the door with my arm, and Luz takes a step towards me, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“I don’t want to leave you in here.” she tells me, her tone set. I know what that really means.

Serena smirks, her eyes glowing. “She said back off, Noceda.” Her tone is taunting and a certain level of spite is hidden among her words. 

Luz uncrosses her arms, instead clenching her fists. “I got this, Luz.” I tell her, ignoring Serena’s comment. “Please, just trust me?” 

She hesitates for a moment, her emotions clearly shown on her face. After a moment she accepts defeat, nodding her head in response.


	35. Chapter 35

Amity POV:

As soon as the door shuts behind her, Serena moves to sit beside me. “Shall I go first?” I nod in response, and she continues. “Last night, when I left, I went to see the Emperor.” 

I stop, frozen, the words echoing around my head. I assumed she had gone to visit her parents. Clearly, I am wrong. 

“He wants to make a deal with us.” she tells me, as I struggle to take in what she is saying. “He wants us back on his side, and is willing to go to any lengths to make that happen.” She pauses, waiting to hear my response. “Well? Isn’t that exciting?” 

No, not really. What does she mean, any lengths? Does that mean he’ll come and find us? What if he gets his hands on Luz? I don’t want to imagine what could happen then. 

“So that’s it? You’re going back to the Emperor?” 

She frowns. “We both are.” Taking my hand, she brings it up to her chest, watching me with her eyes. “It’ll be just like it used to, just the two of us. You can forget all of this nonsense.” She sighs, looking around the room with disgust. “Leave it all behind and come back with me.” 

I hate myself for thinking that the offer is tempting. Not because I want to go back there, not because I want to leave this place. Just because it could be the safer option. If I stay here, the Emperor won’t rest until he’s found me, and that will be easy with Serena on his side. If he finds this place, he’ll find Luz and Eda and little King. I can’t let them get hurt because of my mistake. 

There was a time I would have done anything to be a part of the Emperor’s Coven. I can’t help but wonder what changed. I guess I did. 

“You know I can’t do that, Serena.” I tell her, pulling my hand away from her grip. “I can’t just leave all this behind.” 

She looks surprised, then offended, then angry. “The Coven is your home. Do you really think you belong here?” she scoffs. “You’re a Blight. Or have you forgotten what that means?” 

A moment of quiet passes between us, as her anger fades away. Now, she wears a look of desperation in her eyes, and has never seemed more vulnerable. 

“That was always our dream, to rule the world together.” she sighs, her glassed-over eyes looking far off at something that isn’t there. “What changed?” 

I swallow, hard. Honestly, I’m scared. Everything is telling me to give in and let the tears flow freely down my cheeks, but I keep my pride. 

“I found a new dream.” I tell her, my voice breaking slightly. “And this one is even more beautiful.” 

She turns her head to look at me with a wet smile, her eyes holding all the words she’s too scared to say. We’re both silent for a long time, until Serena breaks it. “You know, you don’t realize how much you love someone until you’re forced to watch them love someone else.” she sighs, her voice far off. She speaks softly, in a tone I’ve never heard her use before. “You love her, don’t you? That human girl.” 

For a moment, I say nothing, caught off guard by her words. “How did you…?”

She smiles softly, a knowing look in her eye. “I see the way you look at her.” she tells me, with a dry laugh. “You’ve never looked at me like that.” A stab of guilt passes through me at her words, and I feel my cheeks flush with shame. I never wanted to hurt her. I never meant to make such a mess of things. “She’s just a distraction, Am’” she tells me, her voice suddenly more serious than before. “She isn’t one of us. She doesn’t belong here. Do you really believe she won’t leave you again?” She smiles at my silence, knowing that she’s in my head. “Come on, Amity.” she says, rising to her feet. She takes my wrist, pulling me to my feet. “Forget this place and let’s go home already.” 

Twisting my wrist from her grip, I pull away from her, trying to maintain our distance. I want to protest, but deep down I know she’s right. I don’t belong here. I’m a Blight. I haven’t forgotten what that means. “If I go with you, will the Coven swear to leave Luz and Eda alone?” 

Serena looks down at me, a glint of sympathy in her eyes. “The Emperor is willing to do pretty much anything to bring you back, so yeah, probably.” 

A deep breath settles my nerves as I take a moment to think it through. I don’t want to go back there, but I also don’t want Luz to get hurt. My parents are counting on me to not let the family down. Not like Edric did. Luz is only holding me back. 

Or is she? Luz has done nothing but help me since she came back to the Boiling Isles. She promised she wouldn’t leave again, and I believe her. Maybe this time it might work out between us. 

Serena’s staring at me. I know she’s waiting for me to say something. She’s waiting for me to tell her I’ll go with her. 

“Come on, Amity.” she sighs in exasperation. “You can’t seriously be considering staying here.” When I don’t respond, instead blinking up at her with a blank expression, her eyes darken. “You can’t. I won’t let you.” she growls. She reaches out to take my wrist again, but I step away from her. “You’re my girlfriend Amity, we can’t play for different teams.” 

“Then maybe I shouldn’t be your girlfriend anymore.” 

The words escape my mouth before I realize I've said them. It’s only when Serena steps backwards, a look of surprise and hurt on her face, that I am able to read the situation again. 

“You can’t do that.” she tells me. “You can’t just-” 

She has nothing to say, because she knows I can. I can and I did, and there’s nothing she can do about it. Still, I feel guilty for ending this all so abruptly, even though it’s been coming for a while. 

“It’s because of that human girl, isn’t it?” Her voice is loud, her eyes burning. “I told you before, you’re just confused, Am’. You don’t know what you want.”

I do, actually. I think on some level I’ve always known. I just shake my head. “Did you really think she wouldn’t tell me what happened last night? What you did to her?” 

She takes quick steps towards me before I can escape, and I am frozen on the spot. Her hands grip around both of my wrists tightly as she holds them out in front of me. She is so close to me now, I can hear her angry breaths as she hisses in my face. “Did you really think she wouldn’t tell me what’s been going on with you two? Did you really think she wouldn’t rub it in my face?”

My eyes are wide, and I swallow hard. “I don’t know what you-” 

“Don’t play dumb with me.” She laughs dryly, letting go of my wrists. I rub them where her grip once was, willing the tears stinging my eyes to leave me alone. She turns away from me, pacing a little. “Little Miss Perfect hasn’t been quite so perfect after all, has she?” 

My mouth is so dry, I lick my lips to try and feel some moisture. Hot shame burns at my cheeks in what I can only assume are several shades of red. “It wasn’t like that.” I protest. “I didn’t mean for-”

She scoffs, turning back to me with fire in her eyes. “Oh, please. You’re a Blight. This is just what you do. You take whatever you want and you don’t stop to think about who you’re hurting.”

“That’s not true!” My voice is louder than I intended it to be, as hot anger joins with hot shame in a hot mixture aching to be released. 

“Isn’t it?” she continues, just as angry as I am. “So you didn’t kiss her?” 

“I-” I don’t know what to say. “I didn’t-” It’s true, I did, and I’m a horrible person for it. “Luz told you that?” I can’t believe Luz would tell her that. I thought she was being considerate, giving me time to figure all this out. I guess not. “Why would she do that?” 

“The question is, why didn’t you?” 

A long silence passes between us. A necessary one. Neither of us really know what to say that won’t just make the situation worse. I want to tell her how sorry I am, for all of this. I want to beg her to stay here with me, because I don’t know what will happen if she leaves. I can’t bear to lose anyone else. I want to explain everything, but I know that isn’t what she wants to hear. 

“You’re not coming, are you?” I look up at the sound of her voice, so soft and low. “There’s nothing I can say that will change your mind, is there? You’ve already made your choice.” 

I nod my head sadly, taking a cautious step towards her. “I really am sorry, Serena.” I tell her sincerely. “I never meant to hurt you.” She brings her eyes up to meet mine, saying nothing. “Stay here with us. We can take on the Emperor together. It can be our new dream.” She smiles half heartedly for a moment, clearly thinking it all through. Then, her expression changes, growing darker. “Please, Serena.” I whisper, just loud enough for her to hear me. “I don’t want to lose you.” 

Her eyes stare through me for a long moment, before her soft response comes through. “You already have.” her voice breaks, and I can see the tears in her eyes that she tries to blink away. “I would rather watch the whole world burn than stay here with you.” She turns quickly before I can process it, slipping out of the door. 

“Wait!” I call out, chasing after her. “Wait, Serena, please don’t go.” I turn the corner just in time to see the front door slam shut behind her. “Please.” My voice is gone, taken over by the sob that escapes my lips. Breathing quickly, deeply, I force back the tears that threaten to fall from my eyes. I will be stronger than this. I won’t break. 

My whole body tenses as I feel warm arms envelope me in their embrace. Luz’ familiar smell fills my lungs, and I can hear her heartbeat. “You did the right thing.” she lies, planting a soft kiss on my head. 

I want to break down. I want to sob into her chest, just let her hold me as she plays with my hair, but I can’t. I’m too angry. Instead, I push away, the fire visible in my eyes. I’m shaking, I know it, but I can’t stop it. She looks down at me, eyes wide with confusion. 

“Why would you tell her, Luz?” I ask, my voice breaking. Another sob tries to escape my lips, but I swallow it back into some kind of whimper. “How could you?” 

Her eyes darken, as shame invades her expression. “I’m so sorry, Am’.” she tells me, genuinely. “I swear, I didn’t mean to.” 

She makes another move towards me, but I shake my head, somewhat hysterically now. Serena was there for me when no one else was. She was my comfort when Luz left, she supported me when Edric moved out, she was my everything, and now she’s gone. 

Another sob escapes my lips, and I don’t swallow it back this time. More follow until they’ve taken over me, shaking my body and burning my chest. I fall to my knees on the floor, a crying mess with no morals left to lean on. This time, I don’t push her away when Luz joins me on the floor and pulls me into her chest. This time, I allow her to hold me, as I let out every last ounce of emotion I have left.

I cry for the twins, and my parents and the life I could have had. I cry for the Coven and everything I could have been. I cry for Serena and the person I was. I cry for Luz. I cry until I am numb, and my sobs dissolve into shaking breaths. Luz whispers softly to me, her hands stroking through my hair, but I’m not listening. I can’t listen. I feel so weak. 

My lungs burn with every shaking intake of breath, and I wish more than anything for the pain to stop. I wish more than anything that Serena would turn around and come back through the door. That her presence would fill the void that’s leaving me numb and cold. 

She’s gone, and this time she isn’t coming back.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas you guys! My heart goes out to everyone today, even those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, like me. It's okay if it isn't the most wonderful time of the year <3 2020 has been crazy, but let's hope there are better days to come. Of course I had to give you all a little Christmas gift, so here it is! I hope you enjoy x

Luz POV:

Sometimes, I miss being young. The darkest parts of myself wishes I had stayed in that familiar city of loneliness and grey and whatever the opposite of being myself was. Where there was nothing to smile about, but plenty to long for. All I ever wanted was someone to love me for me, without trying to change who I was or telling me I was wrong. 

Sometimes, I visit snapshots of my childhood, travelling down memory lane as though it will bring me any kind of content. As though the torn and tattered pages in the scrapbook of my mind will give me the courage I need to go home again. To stay this time. 

Sometimes I wonder if it would have been easier if I had never come here, but it’s so hard to train the heart to sit. Nothing can convince me that the Boiling Isles isn’t my home. I’ve spent so long telling myself I don’t belong here, and I don’t belong in the human world, so maybe I just don’t belong anywhere at all. 

Sitting here with the most perfect girl in my arms, listening to the soft music that plays through my speakers, I know just how lucky I am to be here. To be alive. She’s smiling now, a smile that she hasn’t shown in almost a week. Not since Serena left. 

If I’m being honest, Serena leaving was a good thing for me. Not because I was jealous of her, well maybe I was, but because her absence gives me space to breathe. I no longer have to be aware of every move I make. I no longer have to hide my feelings. 

I smile at her smile, wrapping my arms around her stomach just a little tighter. She snuggles backwards into my embrace. Then, she starts to hum, little notes vibrating through her closed lips. I can’t stop the smile that finds its way onto my face, and for once I don’t have to. 

She starts to sway a little, as the lyrics tumble from her mouth in a sweet melody. She has the most beautiful voice, soft and soothing, and I find myself melting at the sound of it. A part of me wants to sing along, but I don’t, because some things deserve to only be done well. 

As she finishes the line, she looks up at me with big eyes, golden and gleaming. Taking my hand in hers, she zips our fingers together and squeezes gently. The song comes to an end, the last few bars playing, but neither of us are listening anymore, too lost in each other to care. 

Her wavy hair falls around her shoulders in a tumble of green and the light in her eyes that has been doused for so long warms me. Her soft pink lips are slightly parted, letting out quiet breaths, and her cheeks are dusted red. I can feel her weight against my chest, and it's comforting. I didn't know it was possible to love someone this much, but i do. 

With a smile, I lean over, holding onto her hand tightly as I press our lips together. I feel her smile against my mouth as she kisses me back, reaching a hand up to touch my face. 

"Luuuuuuz!" We pull away quickly as my name echoes through the house in a loud high pitched whine. King stands in the doorway, a look of quiet distaste on his face. "Ewww, were you guys just kissing?" 

I throw him a pointed look as Amity melts next to me. Her cheeks are redder than I've ever seen them as she moves to put her head in her hands. 

"What's up, King?" I ask, eager to change the subject. 

"Oh, right." He chuckles, before clearing his throat professionally. "Eda requests your presence downstairs." He hesitates, looking towards Amity for a moment before continuing. "And her, if she's still, you know, alive."

Amity let's out a soft groan, only growing redder beneath her hands. I can't help but chuckle at her flustered state. After planting a soft kiss onto her hair, I turn back to King.

"Alright, thanks bud. We'll be down in a sec." 

He gives me a questioning look, his line of sight moving between Amity and me. "Okay..." He says suspiciously. "Just don't take too long. It's important."

With that, he scampers back out of the door, leaving me with hundreds of questions. His footsteps echo down the stairs, and Amity doesn't come back to life until we can no longer hear them. 

"Please tell me I imagined that whole conversation." She groans softly, taking her hands away from her face to look up at me. 

She smiles when gentle laughter escapes my lips, her eyes lighting up. "Come on." I say, nudging her to her feet. "Let's go see what Eda wants." 

She complies, standing up with a gentle sigh. I follow suit, pulling her into me by her waist once I've found my feet. With a giggle, she stands on the tips of her toes, reaching up to finish our kiss. It's just as perfect as I imagined.


	37. Chapter 37

Luz POV: 

The first thing that I notice to be wrong about the Owl House is the pile of voices we can hear from the top of the stairs. They shout over each other, gradually getting louder. There are easily four people downstairs, maybe more, but I'm not sure who they are. The only voice I recognize immediately is Eda's. Instinctively, I take Amity's hand, guiding her down the narrow steps.

The second thing I notice is the heat. It's hotter than before, a stuffy dry heat that seems to take the breath right out of your lungs. The winter months are over now, but such heat is still surprising. 

As we reach the bottom of the stairs, I am able to see some of the faces of the people that sit around the wooden dining table.  
Willow's familiar round glasses sit on the edge of her nose. Her shoulder length hair looks a little unkempt, as does the rest of her. Her arguments echo through the room as she voices her opinion rather loudly.  
Gus sits next to her, saying nothing. He looks tired and worn, and wears a disheartened look on his face.  
Across from him sits Boscha, her appearance no different than usual. Her pink hair is piled atop her head in a neat bun, which bounces as she shouts across the table.  
Lilith sits with her head in her hands, rubbing her temples gently. She is the first to notice Amity and I enter the room, and clears her throat loudly as she does so. 

The table falls silent almost instantly as they all turn their heads to look at us.

"Nice of you to join us." Eda says from where she stands at the other side of the room with King. 

"What's going on?" I ask, a little too aggressively. "What are you guys doing here?"

Gus throws me a sympathetic look, one that I don't quite understand the meaning of. Boscha just watches me, her silence more unsettling than any answer. It is Willow who speaks first, eyeing me up suspiciously. 

"We'll talk about THIS later." She tells me, motioning with her arm to my hand that still grips onto Amity's. "For now, we have a plan to settle." 

I blink back at her, confused, as she turns back to face the table. 

"Right," Boscha starts. "I'm with Willow on this one." Willow smiles back proudly, while Gus puts his head in his hands. "I get that it's dangerous, but isn't it worth the risk?"

"Shouldn't she get to be the one to decide that?" Gus scoffs, looking up.

"Why should she?" Willow says through gritted teeth. "She's the one who got us all into this mess." 

With that, the table erupts into noise again, voices talking over voices so no one can really be heard. I turn to face Amity, a questioning look in my eye. She returns my glance with the same level of confusion. 

Starting forward, I guide myself and Amity towards the table, towards the voices, towards the noise. "Hey!" I shout over the chaos. The table quietens, as they all turn back to me. "Does someone mind filling us in on what's going on?" 

Willow lets out an exasperated sigh, clearly frustrated by the interruption. "We're trying to come up with a plan." She tells me slowly, as though talking to a child. "I think we should go through with it, but SOMEONE thinks otherwise."

This time, all eyes turn to Gus who sits, looking a little flustered. "Hey! It could be really dangerous, that's all I'm saying." He protests, holding his hands up in surrender. "What if something goes wrong?" 

"It won't." Boscha whines. "Not if we stick to the plan."

"You haven't even told us the plan!" I tell her, starting to get a little frustrated. 

"That's why we called you down here." Eda tells me, motioning for us to sit down at the table. Amity stays put, and I move to stand in front of her protectively, sensing something isn't right here. Eda sighs, leaning forward, hands pressed flat down on the table. "There's a party this Friday night at Hexide, and we need to get in." Eda tells us matter-of-factly. "More specifically, we need to get her in." 

Eda points a finger in my direction at Amity, who stands just behind me. Her eyes widen with surprise, her ears drooping a little. 

"Are you crazy?" I ask when Amity says nothing. "That place is swarming with guards who are looking to have her head." My voice is angrier than I intended, a low growl that escapes my lips. "She'd never get in or out alive." 

Willow and Boscha share a look. "That's why we have a plan." Willow tells me, trying and failing to keep her tone level. "We just have to stick to it." 

"Why me?" Amity speaks up, her voice soft and quiet. She steps out from behind me, letting her hand slip from mine. "Why can't one of you three do it?" She asks them, motioning towards the other Hexide students. 

Lilith shakes her head. "No, it has to be a Blight. They said they would only talk to a Blight." She sounds a little frustrated, but keeps her voice level. "Listen Amity, there's someone at the party I need you to talk to." She explains, taking on a more motherly tone. "This is very important." 

To my dismay, Amity nods along. "Who is it?" 

"We don't know." Eda confesses with a sigh. 

"Well, how am I supposed to find this person if I don't know what they look like?" 

Lilith stands, making her way slowly towards Amity. When she reaches her, she places a firm hand onto the young witch's shoulder. "I know it's strange, but i need you to trust me." She says softly. "We'll all have your back if anything goes wrong and you-"

"Goes wrong?" I interrupt, not liking what I'm hearing. "What could go wrong?"

Willow gives me a withering look, unlike the sweet girl she usually is. "This is our one shot at taking down the Emperor, Luz." She tells me shortly. "You can do your little hero stunt later, we don't have time for that now."

I clench my fists, taking a deep breath to settle my nerves. Gus offers me another look of sympathy, only this time I understand what he means. 

"All you have to do is go to the party." Lilith continues. "We think there's a chance this person can help us. All you have to do is find them and see what they want, okay?"

I watch in horror as Amity nods her head in agreement. The dread sinks in, and I surge forward in a rush of adrenaline. "What? No!" I protest to the frustration of everyone else. "Look, Amity, you might be okay with risking your own safety for this suicide mission, but I'm not." I lower my voice now, talking directly to Amity instead of to the room. "You don't even know who this person is. What if something goes wrong?"

She looks up at me, her golden eyes framed with an emotion I can't decipher. "Luz, I'll be fine." She tells me, the soft tone of her voice calming me more than I want it to. "I have to try, don't I?" 

She takes my hand, rubbing soft circles into my palms. Finally, I cave, letting my icy exterior fade away. "Fine, but I'm coming with you." 

"Actually," Boscha speaks up from behind us, "she is gonna need a date." 

"Perfect."

I smile down at her, and she smiles back. For a moment, I forget everyone else in the room, getting lost in the golden gleam of her eyes. Our moment is broken though when we hear King whisper to Eda. "Hey, they might do it again."

His comment turns Amity bright red, as she breaks away from me to hide in her hands again. Despite the bleak and dangerous situation, I can't help but inwardly smile. I get to take Amity to the prom.


	38. Chapter 38

Luz POV:

Willow stands in front of me, so close I can almost feel her icy exterior. Her hands fiddle with my collar. I think she’s straightening it, but I’m not sure, and I’m too scared to ask. We both say nothing, as her black mood somehow creates a barrier between us. I want to ask her why she seems so different; where her normal jolly self has disappeared to, but I don’t want to offend her. 

She finishes with my collar, instead wrapping a long piece of fabric around my neck. She weaves it around a little, looping the ends together until it forms the perfect tie, loosely hung around my neck. In return, I offer her a thankful smile, which she doesn’t give back. 

“Are you alright?” I ask her, trying to sound as non judgemental as possible. She hums her response, but still says nothing. Reaching out, I catch the hand that still fiddles with my tie, and she brings her eyes up to look at me. “Are you sure?” 

This time, she sighs, clearly deciding that lying would be futile. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.” she tells me, flopping down on the sofa. “This has all just been so overwhelming.”

I frown. I guess I never really took the time to consider how everything has been affecting the others. “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask her, lowering myself down beside her. 

She shrugs, not quite meeting my gaze. Holding her hands in her lap, she fiddles with them for something to do. “My dads,” she starts, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. “They don’t want me to be here.” 

“Why not?” I ask, although I’m sure I already know the answer. 

She sighs again, fidgeting in her seat. I can tell she doesn’t want to talk about it, so I’m grateful that she does anyway. “They think challenging the Emperor is a bad idea.” she lets out a soft laugh, perhaps for the irony, that maybe it is. “They’re just worried I’ll get hurt.” 

I offer her a sympathetic look, one that she returns with a soft smile. “They’re right to worry.” I tell her. “This is totally insane, and sometimes I worry that we’ll never pull it off. But you don’t have to be here if you don’t want to.” I take her hand in mine, squeezing gently as she looks up at me with big eyes. Light glints off her glasses, so I can’t see the tears that lace her eyes. 

“I want to be.” she tells me, with a small sniffle. “It’s the right thing to do.” I nod supportively as we hold each other’s gaze for a moment. All I can think about is how brave she is. “Thanks, Luz.” she tells me after a while of silence. Her arms find their way around my neck, and I am caught off guard by the embrace. Still, I hug her back. “Come on,” she says, when we pull apart, “you don’t look Prom worthy yet.” 

A chuckle escapes my lips as I allow her to pull me to my feet. “You’re right.” I tell her. “Amity will be ready soon.” 

She eyes me suspiciously as she leans over to take the purple waistcoat that lies across the arm of the sofa. “Speaking of,” she starts, a hint of mischief in her tone. “Since when are you two, you know, a thing?” She hands the waistcoat to me, and I take it, swallowing back the blush that creeps onto my face. “Not that I’m surprised.” she adds. 

I laugh, for lack of an answer, slipping my arms into the jacket. “A better question would be, what’s going on with you and Boscha?” 

This time, Willow turns bright red, pretending to busy herself with doing up my buttons. “I don’t know.” she tells me, sincerely. “We’re still figuring it out.” I nod along, unable to hold back the grin that finds my face. She looks up at me, blushing even more at the expression I wear. “I like her a lot, you know?”

“Yeah,” I tell her, with a gentle smile this time. “I know what you mean.”

She steps back away from me, eyeing me up and down. After a moment, she closes the gap again and begins tugging at the fabric around my neck. “Lose the tie.” she tells me as it pulls free from its prison. “Open collar is just more casual.” 

She leans down to pick up a mirror from the table, then holds it out for me to look in. Surprisingly, I actually dig this outfit. I’m not sure when Willow got so into fashion, probably through Boscha, but she’s done a good job. My outfit consists of a lilac shirt with a darker purple waistcoat over the top. I’m wearing black trousers that begin somewhere beneath the waist coat, and Willow holds up a black jacket to finish the look. 

“Thanks.” I tell her, taking the jacket from her. It’s still warm in here, so I tuck it over the crook of my elbow to put on later. 

“One more thing.” she tells me, lifting a small box from the table.

It opens like a chest, revealing a small golden tiara with pink crystals decorating the front. I recognise it immediately, and the breath seems to disappear from my lungs completely. With a gentle touch, I lift it carefully from its home, as though it might break at any moment. The cold material greets my fingertips just as the joy from the memory it holds greets my heart. It seems like so long ago that I danced with Amity under the stars on Grom night. This tiara serves as the perfect reminder of that. 

“Here,” Willow says, taking the tiara from my hand. Gently, she reaches up, placing it on the top of my head. I offer her a smile, the excitement I feel for tonight finally coming through in my eyes. Yes, I know we’re strictly attending on business, but just the thought of taking Amity to the prom makes me giddy. Who knows, we may even get to dance. 

“Are you ready, Willow?” Boscha’s voice calls from upstairs. 

The breath catches in my throat, as I’m suddenly more nervous than I was before. Willow offers me a reassuring smile, before shouting back, “Ready!” 

As we both turn towards the stairs, I can’t help but feel a little giddy. My head reels with excitement, yet the nerves still manage to claw their way up my throat. I swallow them back though as Amity’s figure appears on the top of the stairs. She descends them, the very picture of beauty and grace, like some kind of storybook princess. Her wavy hair tumbles around her shoulders, now the most gorgeous shade of brown I have ever seen. I guess Boscha helped her take away the green so that she wouldn't be recognised as easily. It suits her perfectly nevertheless. She wears a purple dress to match my suit, with black netting falling down to her knees. Her nails are painted black too, and she wears a choker around her neck. In the hand that isn’t clutching the wooden banister, she holds the same tiara that I am wearing. As always, she is beautiful.

As her purple heels find the floor, she looks up at me, giving me a smile. “Wow, Luz. You look amazing!” she tells me with a giggle. 

My mouth is left slightly open as I take all of her in. I want to tell her she looks great too, but no words seem to come out. Instead, I return her smile, holding my arm out for her to take. 

“Remember,” Boscha tells us as we all head for the front door, “we’ll all be around just in case. Just get in and out, and for Titan’s sake, try to keep a low profile.” 

Amity and I both nod our response to our instructions and Willow shoos us through the front door. “Have fun, you two.” she says, with a wink specially saved for me. I'm glad too see Willow feeling better than before, although my cheeks flush and I feel very dizzy all of a sudden. 

Amity grips onto my arm, allowing me to lead her down the path through the woods, towards Hexide. "I'm terrified." she tells me with a nervous laugh. She doesn't look scared. She's always been so brave, I admire her for that. "What if someone recognises me?" 

I don't have an answer to that, nor any reassuring words to say, so instead I bring my spare hand up to touch hers. "Your hair looks beautiful." I tell her, and she blushes. "But it isn't very 'Amity Blight'. I'm sure they'll be looking for your signature green hair, if they're even looking." 

She smiles up at me, and I can tell my words have settled her nerves a little. "Thanks, Luz."


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one today, because the next one is quite long.
> 
> Sorry for the delay in updating! I've been so weighed under lately, dealing with a lot of personal stuff. Thank you all for being patient with me though <3
> 
> I'm starting to realise how long this fic is getting, jeez! We've still got a while to go until the end though, so please stick with it.
> 
> I hope you are all staying safe, and enjoy x

Amity POV: 

The Great Hall of Hexide school has never looked so beautiful. Explosions of gold decorate the room, setting the mood perfectly in the form of banners, balloons and even flower displays. Despite this, there is a certain level of sophistication about the scene before me.

The gentle hum of music surrounds us, as well as voices piling on top of more voices. There’s the kind of buzz about that you can only experience from events like this. I’m sure Luz is thinking the same thing as me- that I’d rather just go home. We’re here on a mission, though, and the mission is not yet accomplished. 

I can’t help but feel a little pang of sadness, as I am reminded of all the time I’ve spent away from Hexide. In a way, coming back here for prom almost feels like coming home. I have to remind myself that it’s not the same thing.

Everyone looks almost unrecognisable in their fancy outfits, although I do spot a few familiar faces as Luz and I duck through the crowds. She was right about my change of appearance; no one has yet noticed me, and if they have, no one has said anything. Luz is a little less invisible though, as empty stares and mutters are often directed towards her. 

“Just ignore them.” I tell her privately, although I have to raise my voice a little over the noise. She offers me a weak smile in response, but I can tell all the attention is making her nervous. “Here,” I take her hand in mine, not waiting for her reaction as I pull her towards me. “I love this song.” I tell her. 

That’s not just an excuse to dance, I really do love this song. Its steady rhythm brings me nostalgia, as I remember listening to it on repeat in my room. It was my comfort song from back when Luz...well, when she left. I haven’t heard it in so long, I’m not sure how to react, so I just follow my gut. 

I pull her arms around me, directing them to my waist. She doesn’t resist, pulling me into her as we begin to slowly sway. I can practically hear her heart beating, as a deep blush appears on her cheeks. She swallows it down though, holding me close to her.

My head rests against her shoulder as we sway back and forth in time with the music. She smells so familiar, like home, and her hands grip my waist comfortingly. “I love you, querida.” she whispers into my hair, planting the softest of kisses onto the side of my face.

Quietly, I smile into her shoulder. “I love you too.”

“Thank you, for everything. For making this all go away.” she laughs a little, and I can practically hear the smile on her face, although I can’t see it. We continue to sway back and forth, falling into the rhythm of one another. “When I’m with you, it’s like you’re the only thing that matters anymore. I don’t ever want to be without you.” 

Luz keeps talking, but I’m no longer listening. Instead, my attention has been stolen by the shadowy figure who stands at the edge of the room, watching me. As soon as it sees that I’ve noticed it, it disappears into the crowds, dragged away by the sea of students. I don’t know who that was, but a part of me knows it’s who we came here for. 

“Luz,” I know I’ve interrupted her, but this feels more important right now. “I think I’ve found them.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year :)

Amity POV: 

Chasing this shadow is like chasing a ghost; one minute it’s there, the next it is gone. I almost allow myself to believe that I imagined the whole thing. Almost. 

Taking off running in the direction the figure was is not a good idea. Now, I’m just standing alone amongst students that I haven’t seen in almost a year.

I turn again, twisting through the crowds of people to try and catch sight of Luz again. It’s so hot in here, I feel as though I could melt at any moment. Everything is too much. The music is deafening, and my brain is distracted between trying to decipher the lyrics, stumbling through these crowds and falling into the arms of-

This isn’t Luz. I know this isn’t Luz, so why is he pulling me into him? Why are we dancing? Why can’t I walk away? 

“Hey,” he says, as his hands find my waist. I squirm against his grip, but he only holds me tighter. “You look familiar, have we met?” When I say nothing, he chuckles. “I’m sure I would remember you.” 

His hands grip my waist firmly as he holds my body close to his. For the first time, I look down at him. He’s shorter than me, by a fair amount, and his spiky black hair stands on its ends. He clearly used too much hair gel when he left for this dance. He smells of cheap cologne and cigarettes, and I find myself almost gagging at the scent. The suit he wears is tightly fitted, presumably a hand-me-down that doesn’t quite match his skin tone. The only thing I like about this boy are his earrings that hang in half moons by his neck. 

“Wow,” he breathes, as my eyes scan over him, “you have the most beautiful-” He stops, and the breath catches in my throat. He’s frowning at me now, a mix of confusion and familiarity. “Wait…” he mutters, clearly trying to place me. All at once, I want the floor to eat me up. “Oh my gods, you’re that Blight girl!” he realises, a little too loudly. I shush him, as his discovery distracts him enough for me to slip from his grasp. He lets me go, watching me with a level of disgust that I’ve never seen before. “Aren’t you supposed to be on the run?” he asks me with a sneer. I say nothing, as the tears burn at my eyes. As if noticing me for the first time, he lets out a hollow laugh. “I heard you left your position at the Coven for a human.” he continues to sneer, as I’m too scared to move from my spot. I stand, frozen, as his words hit me like bullets of truth. “Was the perfect life on a silver platter not enough for you?” he asks, a hint of malice in his tone. He reaches forward to grab my wrist again, but this time I step away from his aim. He laughs, not kind laughter, the kind of laughter that will stick with me for weeks. With a final hiss, he adds words which dig the knife in deeper, twisting until I can taste the blood. “Rich bitch.”

Swallowing hard, I stagger away from him, allowing the crowds to eat me up until his face is only visible in my mind. His words haunt me, hanging around me like an unfinished rhyme. Is this how everyone on the Isles views me now? Some rich, stuck up, selfish brat who couldn’t just take what she deserved. I gave up so much to be with Luz, I didn’t even think about what I was leaving behind. Turning my back on my family, my home, it’s the most despicable thing I’ve ever done, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. Although I still don’t remember anything about my time with the Emperor, I know that I never want to go back there. I thought that’s what I wanted, power and greatness, but I was wrong. This is what I want now. Luz is what I want.

I keep moving backwards, only stopping when I feel the gentle bump of another’s shoulder. As I turn around to apologise, the breath is completely knocked out of me. All reason goes away, and my head feels so light. 

“Dance with me,” I say breathlessly to the figure in front of me. 

She smiles with a sense of knowing. “It would be a pleasure.” Her voice lights up something inside of me, a dark space that has been left empty all this time. She stands, tall above me, her dark hair falling all around her shoulders. “You look beautiful.” Her smile lights up her whole face, as she pulls me into her and we begin to sway together. I hate myself for missing her. I hate myself for swooning as her hand finds the small of my back. I hate myself because it shouldn’t be Serena, it should be Luz. 

“It’s you, isn’t it?” I ask her, despite already knowing the answer. “You’re the one who left Lilith that note, of course you are.” 

“I didn’t know how else to talk to you.” she sighs, regretfully. “I know she was your teacher and I- well…” she hesitates, pulling me closer to her. The familiar smell of her perfume fills my lungs, and I breathe in as much of it as I can, aching to remember this feeling forever. “I promised I would take you to Prom.” she tells me, her voice wistful and far off, as though I’m listening to her from behind a sheet of glass. “I didn’t want to break that promise.” 

I want to lean into her embrace, to forgive her over and over, but I can’t. “You didn’t take me to prom.” I tell her as I pull away, my heart racing inside of my chest. “Luz did.” 

She meets my gaze with unsmiling eyes. “I bumped into Luz earlier and explained everything.” she tells me, shifting her eyes away from me. 

I nod, so lost in my head that I don’t hear the words Serena tells me. I don’t understand. I can’t think. I never thought I’d see her again, yet here she is, standing in front of me like she never left. But she did leave. She did, and she can’t take that back. So then, why is she here, saying all the words it’s too late for me to hear? I can’t listen. It’s too late, and it’s just getting later. I have to get out of here. I need some air. The noise in this room is deafening and I feel suffocated and scared all at once. I don’t look back this time, pulling away from her and making a break for the big double doors at the edge of the hall. I hear my name being called distantly behind me, but everything feels so far away. 

As I burst through the doors into the night, the cold air hits my face, stinging my cheeks. Traces of frost hint at the grass, but the night is still young. I lean my weight against the lowest branch of one of the apple trees. As I try to take deep breaths, they catch in my throat one by one, suffocating me. 

“Amity?” 

Hearing a voice behind me, I try my best to compose myself. After one final attempt at a breath, I turn slowly to steal a glance at whoever the voice belongs to. I feel a breath escape my lips that I didn’t even know I had been holding. A myriad of questions pollute my mind, but I push them aside, instead focussing on the familiar face before me. 

Pink hair, pink skin, pink suit. I know those familiar blue eyes, all three of them. 

“Hey,” she says softly, reaching a hand out to me. “What’s wrong?” 

“I can’t do this.” I blurt out, all emotion and no logic. “I can’t, Boscha, it’s- there are just-” I swallow the lump in my throat, taking another shaking breath. “It’s too much.”

I allow her to rub gentle circles into my back, leaning into her touch a little. I try my best to follow her instructions as she softly tells me to breathe. Once I have composed, bringing my shaking down to a minimum, and the tears have dried on my face, Boscha speaks softly to me.

“Serena already told Luz everything we need to know.” she explains slowly. Her eyes are soft, carrying a weight of understanding in them. “You can go home now, if you want to,” her voice is low and gentle as she brings a hand up to touch my arm. “Or, you can go back in there and dance with your girlfriend at your last ever senior prom.” 

As I look down at her with big eyes, I have never felt like a child more. Planning battle strategies at the kitchen table all night long sounds exhausting, but dancing with Luz, feeling her close to me as we sway together, that sounds more fun. I can feel my heart in my throat, so I swallow it back down, turning towards my friend. 

I nod with a smile, feeling Boscha’s worried eyes on me. “Okay,” I tell her, my voice wavering just a little. “Let’s do it.”


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so long, I'm sorry x

Luz POV:

These crowds seem endless, like wave after wave of students just keep coming in this ocean of music and laughter. I’ve never enjoyed the party scene much, with all the noise and dim lighting, but I thought coming here with Amity would make it worth while. I let out a low sigh, pushing through the crowds of people. The dark shadows caused by flashing coloured lights mean I have to squint to catch sight of the sea of faces before me. I don’t recognise any of them. Every now and then, heads turn towards me, mutters ripple through whispered conversations as they pick up on my strange mannerisms, my abnormally shaped ears, the brown of my eyes. It seems, even in a crowd of people, I can’t hide when I’m the only one who’s human. No one says anything, perhaps because they’re scared of what will happen if they do. I don’t blame them; my wanted posters hang high around town for all people to see that I’m dangerous. A fearful monster who’s not to be messed with. I can’t help but grin at the irony; I am surrounded by a room full of witches, and yet somehow I am the strange one. How bizarre everyone back in the human world would find this, not that I would ever tell them. Only one witch is on my mind though, as I search the crowds for the golden eyes that I deem to be my favourites. I’m not sure why she ran off like that. It’s not as though our chances of finding the stranger are higher if we split up. Besides, we don’t even know who we’re looking for. Perhaps she didn’t want to dance with me. My heart sinks at the thought. I know she didn’t want to be here, and neither did I, but I can’t help feeling guilty for dragging her along anyway. How selfish we must be to jeopardise her safety for a chance to change the world. How quickly she would trade her life for this cause. She would trade her life for mine without a thought, in a heartbeat. I have to swallow down the dread and remind myself it won’t come to that. It will never come to that. I won’t let it. A steady inward breath attempts to calm me as I make a beeline for the light brown wavy hair I see in front of me. 

“There you are!” I call out, reaching my hand out to touch her shoulder. A set of green eyes turn to look at me, part of a face that isn’t Amity’s. She looks up with distaste and confusion as I quickly tear my hand away from her. “I-I’m sorry, I thought you were…”

I trail off as she turns away from me, moving through the sea of people with an ease I couldn’t find for myself. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I run a hand through my hair, spinning around desperately to search the crowds. 

“You look lost.” a voice laughs as I turn towards its direction. My eyes fall on a tall figure with flowing dark hair falling almost down to her waist. She smiles, the kind of smile that makes my blood boil and sends surges of unfiltered electrical anger through my body. I feel my hands clench into fists at my side as I try my best to refrain from using them.

_ Come on, Luz. You can’t make a scene, not here. _

Still the anger bubbles up inside me as I turn my head up to look directly in her eyes. “Here to finish what you started?” I hiss, my vision turning red at the edges.

She laughs, and I feel my anger grow quickly into irritation. “Cool it, round-ears.” she says with a chuckle, holding her hands up in surrender. “I’m not here for you.” She must notice my eyes turn dark with the nickname she gives me, as her ears flatten against her head and her expression grows more serious. Clearing her throat, she tries again. “I’m here for Amity.” she says, more sure this time. “Where is she?” she asks. 

“Whatever you have to say to Amity, you can say to me, too.” my voice is a low growl, vibrating through my lips as she raises an eyebrow at me. I can tell she wants to argue more, but decides against it in the end.

“Fine.” 

The gentle curve of her dress brushes past me as she makes for the stairs behind us. I watch her, uncertain for a moment, as she mounts the steps. They lead upwards towards a balcony that stretches across the length of the hall. Letting out a sigh, I recall a common phrase from the human world. 

_ Nothing ventured, nothing gained. _

The only difference now is that I have something to lose. 

I follow her up the steps, silent relief washing over me as we escape from the noise a little. She stops walking across the balcony after a while, resting against the cool bar of the railing. She doesn’t look at me when I catch up with her, moving to stand beside her. 

“It’s not what I thought it would be, going back to the Emperor.” she tells me with a sad sigh, still refusing to turn her eyes away from the party scene below. “It was always our dream to rise up in the ranks until we were able to take over the Coven together. When Amity refused the position of Deputy just over a year ago, I never understood why. She was young, too young to really know what she was doing. I can see that now.” 

I want to say something, anything, but the words catch in my throat. Instead, I just let her tell me everything she has been wanting to say for God knows how long. 

“We aren’t bad people.” she continues, so engulfed in her own head. “We just got caught up in so many terrible things, it was hard to turn our backs on it. So, most of us didn’t try. Including Amity.” she swallows, hesitating a moment as though these next words hurt her to say. “Amity knew what they were doing. She saw how the Coven tore apart her family, tore apart her life, but she didn’t seem to care. I thought she was strong for that, but I was wrong.” 

Finding the confidence to speak, I take a deep breath. “Why didn’t you say something?” I ask, my voice softer than I thought it would be. 

“What was I supposed to say?” she asks me, sudden anger rising in her voice, and I notice for the first time that she’s crying. The flame that burned in her for a moment seems to soften, until it burns out completely. Only a pile of ash is left behind in her eyes. “It wouldn’t have mattered anyway.” she tells me in a soft, wet voice. “She wasn’t really there.” 

I look up at her, confusion written clear as day on my face. “What do you mean, ‘she wasn’t really there’?” 

She hesitates, a look of guilt shining through in her eyes, before she speaks, faster than before. “I don’t know what it was they did to her, some kind of mind control magic I guess.” she sighs. “Whatever it was, it was stronger than any of us could even imagine. She was different now. Heartless, vengeful, not opposed to violence like she seemed to be before. It made sense now, why she stuck with the Coven, even after everything they had done to her.” she concludes, her voice sad and small. “She didn’t have a choice.” 

I blink up at her, releasing a breath I didn’t even realise I had been holding. That was a lot to take in. No wonder the air around us feels so unbreathable. Serena glances down at me for the first time, meeting my eye. With an unsure smile, she continues her story. 

“It went on like that for- well, I don’t really know how long. Then one day, she came back to the Coven for our training together, and she was crying.” she closes her eyes, turning away from me as if reliving the event. “I had never seen her do that before. It was like, for the first time, she was feeling again. I didn’t understand what had changed until the next day at school.” with a sigh, she wakes up from her dream, bringing her eyeline down to gaze at the people dancing like figurines below us. “I saw the way she looked at you, like the hope in her eyes had returned after years of darkness.” She turns towards me with a sad smile. “She never looked at me like that.” 

I swallow back the blush that finds its way onto my face. I remember that day at school too, my first day back at Hexide. I remember watching her at her locker with Serena, the way she stood with her arms folded over her stomach. The way her eyes seemed to yearn for some kind of peace that she wouldn’t find there. I had met her in the woods just the day before, relearning her for the first time in two years. Maybe that’s where the light in her eyes came from. Maybe I brought it back. 

“Listen, Luz,” Serena’s voice pulls me back to reality as I turn my attention towards the tall figure beside me. “I know we didn’t get off to a great start, and you have no reason to trust me, but I need you to listen.” I nod my head wordlessly, willing her to continue. “Belos is planning something, something big.” 

I swallow, my eyes tracing all over her face. I’m not sure if I’m searching for a sign that she’s lying. None of this makes any sense, and I don’t understand why she’s telling me this. 

“Amity is the only person who has ever been strong enough to fight the spell Belos had her under. Even before you and Eda...did what you did.” she frowns, thinking hard. With one hand, she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, gripping hard onto the railing with the other. “I did a little reading into it, and that’s never happened before.” she turns to me, her eyes burning with some kind of desperation. “Like, ever.” 

I blink again, shaking my head slightly in an attempt to understand. “What do you mean?” 

She sighs again, this time with frustration. “I think he’s planning on using Amity like some kind of failsafe.” she hesitates, squinting to try and find the right words to explain. “Like...they’ll use her body to store as much magic as she can possibly hold.” 

“Isn’t that dangerous?” 

Serena gives me a pointed look. Of course it is, but since when does the Emperor care about that? I let out a long sigh, tugging my fingers through my hair. 

“I know this is...a lot.” She tells me slowly, choosing the right words carefully. “Most likely, she’ll host the magic that the Emperor will use for himself. It’s hard to imagine he’ll let anyone hold more power than him, especially someone who can resist his control.” 

I take a deep breath to settle my stomach, trying to process all of this. Allowing my weight to fall against the railing, I grip the metal bar with all of my strength, watching as my knuckles turn white. “What are you saying?” I ask eventually, releasing my breath. “What- so we’re supposed to just keep Amity away from him? That sounds simple enough, although she can be very stubborn so we’ll obviously have to-'' I'm cut off by the look she gives me, like she’s trying to hold back from punching me in the face. Confused, I step back, holding my hands up defensively. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” 

She releases her breath, her expression melting away as she does so. “No, Luz. If you’re going to take down the Emperor, you’re going to have to use the failsafe against him.” 

The breath catches in my throat, her words sinking in. I just look up at her, a look of surprise and horror frozen on my face. With a shake of my head, I take another step back away from her. 

“I love Amity.” she tells me softly. “I don’t want this any more than you do, but the Emperor is too strong. It’s the only way you even stand a chance.” she breathes out, turning away from me. The pained expression on her face tells me she thinks less of herself now than I do. “As long as you make sure the Emperor doesn’t use her magic, she should be okay. That is, as long as they don’t pump too much magic for her to hold.” 

“So you’re suggesting we bait her, let them stuff her with magic until she’s nothing but a host, and then use her as our weapon against the Emperor?” I can hear the anger rising in my voice before I know how to stop it, and a few heads turn up to look at us upon hearing my outburst. 

Serena turns dark red, whether from embarrassment or shame, I can’t be sure. Her eyes trail across the dancing figures below us until they settle on my beautiful brown haired girl. She looks lost, and a little afraid, as she staggers backwards through the crowds. Even from afar, I can see the tears glistening in her eyes as she tries to blink them away. I don’t stop to think, I just turn back towards the stairs, making my way towards her. 

“Wait,” I feel a hand on my arm, turning me back around to look up at Serena’s face. “Please, can I?” 

I want to say no. I want to tell her to leave us alone, but I can’t. Her eyes silently beg me, as she pulls her hand away. She has been through so much, she deserves at least a goodbye. I nod my head slowly, side stepping out of her way as she hurries down the steps towards Amity with a smile. 

Regaining my position on the balcony, I lean over the railing, watching as Amity bumps into Serena. She turns, startled, and before I know it, they are dancing. I try not to be jealous of her sheer good fortune. My head is screaming at me not to watch, but my heart won’t let me look away as they gently sway together in time to the music. The only thing that drags my eyes away from the scene below are the footsteps I hear coming up behind me. 

“You did the right thing.” Willow tells me, stepping up beside me. I let out a sigh. She’s right, I know, but it still hurts. 

“Have you been listening this whole time?” She says nothing, but nods her reply. I scoff a little, turning my attention back to the two dancing below. “I should have known.” We’re both quiet for a long time, watching in silence. They look so beautiful, so graceful. Maybe they’re better suited for one another. Maybe I’m just getting in the way. Shaking my head, I try to rid the thought from my mind, instead turning back to Willow. “So, what should we do?” 

She says nothing for a while, lost in thought. “I don’t know.” she admits with a sigh. “This is all so much harder than I thought it would be.” 

For a moment, I think about pretending I didn’t hear the slight crack in her voice, but my moral compass gets the better of me. I reach an arm out to her, an invitation to join my embrace. With a smile, she accepts, resting her head against my shoulder as I wrap my arm around her. “Thank you for being here.” I tell her, remembering our conversation from earlier this evening. “I promise, Willow, we can fix this together.” 

I feel her smile against my shoulder, and she grips around my waist just a little tighter. From above, far away from the noise and chaos, the scene below is actually a beautiful one. Everyone looks so great in their outfits and the dancing, though questionable at times, is still fun to watch. The fun disappears quickly though, as I watch Amity push herself away from Serena’s grip. She’s crying now, I can tell, and she takes deep, heavy breaths. 

I surge forward, like a car starting back to life, and turn quickly towards the stairs. 

“Luz, wait!” Willow stops me, as I watch Amity burst through the double doors at the edge of the room. They slam shut behind her, and I turn back up to Willow. “Boscha’s already down there.” she explains as I retrace my last steps to stand beside her again. “She’ll be okay.” her promise is reassuring, but I still feel bad for leaving her alone.

I watch, with fire in my eyes, as Serena turns her head up to look at me. She nods silently, clearly understanding that her presence is no longer welcome, before turning towards the other set of doors, further away from me. It seems a lot of people are leaving now. The dance floor looks emptier than before, and the noise is certainly less deafening. As I scan the faces again, I recognise a few people from certain classes we shared or just from around the halls of Hexide. Either way, the whole scene feels less scary now, like this prom could actually be kind of...fun? 

I turn back to Willow, bumping my shoulder gently against hers. “Hey, you okay?” I ask her, my voice as soft as I can make it. I take her hand in mine, squeezing gently.

She looks up at me, wide eyed, as though surprised by the question. “Yeah.” she responds with a smile. “I’m okay.” I return the smile, feeling more at peace than I have all evening. “You can probably go find her now, if you want.” Willow says after a moment of quiet. “I’m sure Boscha has calmed her down by now.” 

Smiling down at her, I squeeze Willow’s hand one last time before turning towards the stairs. The descent feels longer than the climb, but I don’t mind. I know Amity is in good hands with Boscha. As long as she’s okay, that’s all that matters right now. After that, we can formulate some kind of plan. I only hope, for all our sakes, that there’s another way out of this. 


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know the rain is supposed to be...well, boiling, but this was a really beautiful idea that came to me and I wanted to write it anyway. Call it artistic license x

Amity POV: 

"Hey!" Amity and Boscha look up quickly as I push through the double doors. Stepping out into the cold, I release a breath, watching it as it becomes visible in the air. I take a step towards them, but Amity turns to me before I can reach them, catching me off guard with her embrace. I stumble backwards a little, as her arms clasp around my neck. "You okay?" I ask her, laughing into her hair. She burrows her face into my neck, humming her reply as I breathe in her familiar scent. 

When she pulls away from me, I watch her wipe her eyes quickly, trying to hide any signs that she's been crying. "Yeah, we were just-" she turns back to where Boscha stood moments ago to find that she is gone. With a frown, she looks around the empty courtyard for any signs of her, but she has completely disappeared. 

"You were just...?" I prompt, as Amity turns back to me. 

"Nothing." she assured me with a shake of her head. She reaches out for my hand, entwining our fingers. "Forget it." 

I smile down at her, my eyes laced with adoration. "Okay, well we can go home now if you like?" I offer. "I bumped into Serena earlier, and she told me everything we need to know." I notice Amity's hesitation and, with a frown, I bring a hand up to cup her cheek. "What's wrong?" 

"Will you dance with me first?" she asks, ignoring the blush that finds its way onto her face. My eyes widen at the request, and she turns her eyes to the ground. I glance back at the party scene behind me, then towards Amity again. "We don't have to." she adds quickly. "We can just go home if you want, that's cool too!" she babbles, blushing all over again.

My hands find her chin, and I tilt her head up to look at me. I feel my heart skip a beat in my chest as I smile down at her expectant face. "How could I say no to my beautiful Bonita?" 

Her face lights up with a smile as she begins to gently pull me back towards the dance floor. I’m not all that good of a dancer, but I’d do anything for this girl. 

We both begin to sway together in time to the rhythm of the song. She’s incredible, her hips moving back and forth as I try my best to catch up. Somehow, it feels like this isn’t the first time that we’ve danced together. I guess that’s because it isn’t. Reaching out towards her, I put my arm around her waist from behind, just aching to be closer to her. She turns her head to me with a smile, placing her hands on top of mine and guiding them all over her body. Then, she reaches up, running her hands through my hair behind her. 

She’s so beautiful, dancing in the dark. Her smile seems to light up the room a little, as she sways back and forth in front of me. I lean forward, resting my head on her shoulder, burying my face into her neck. A soft sigh escapes my lips as I feel her body move against mine.

“I love you.” Leaning down, I plant a soft kiss on her neck, breathing in her smell. “No matter what happens, I will always love you, okay?” 

Amity turns around in my arms, slowly bringing her eyes up to mine. Her eyes, golden and full of light now burn with a kind of desire. She smiles, reaching up to press her lips against mine. It’s soft at first, her gentle way of telling me she’s here. She’s real. Then, it grows deeper as we both ache to be closer to one another.

I finally pull away, almost breathless as she stares up at me with her golden eyes. “Let’s get out of here.” she whispers, with a sly smile. 

All I can do is nod, taking Amity by the hand and leading her out through the double doors at the back. I don’t stop to tell Willow and Boscha that we’re leaving- they’ve probably been watching this whole time anyway. Nothing else in the world matters other than Amity, as we break out into the cold outside, laughing. 

It’s raining now, but she doesn’t seem to mind, so I don’t either. I pull her into me by the waist, revelling in her gentle laughter until she drowns the noise with her kisses. Soft and slow, savouring every moment until we break apart. She looks up at me, a mischievous smile on her face, and before I know it, she’s running. Raindrops fall into her hair, decorating them like crystals. Her gentle laughter floats through the air, and before I know it, I’m running too, sprinting to catch up with her. She slows to a stop as we reach the treeline, bending over to slide her heels off her feet. This gives me a chance to catch up, panting for breath as I skid to a halt beside her. 

We’re both drenched now, as water slides down her face, smudging her mascara a little. She’s not looking at me, but I’m looking at her, taking as much of her in as I can. The gentle curve of her lip slides up into a beautiful smile, and her light brown hair, that I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of seeing, falls around her shoulders. She doesn’t seem to mind the rain or the cold, as she looks back up at me. After the loss of her heels, she’s a fair amount shorter than me, so she has to reach up to peck at my lips again. She takes my hand, entwining our fingers again as she walks into the woods. I follow her, noticing the sway of her hips, the way she moves. It’s as if she’s still dancing, even though we’ve left the party. Her heels hang from her fingers at her side as I follow her down the path through the trees. They shelter us from the rain a little, offering us a safe space to talk. 

“Are you alright, mi querida?” I ask, my voice soft. I’m not sure how she feels after seeing Serena again, though hopefully for the last time. 

She looks up at me, her eyes glowing with the kind of happiness I haven’t seen in so long. “I’m perfect.” she tells me, squeezing my hand just a little. “I’m with you.” 

I blush, moving my arm around her shoulders. I pull her in a little as we walk, placing a kiss atop her head. It’s amazing to think that, after all this time of wanting, I’m finally able to act like this with her. In light of this, I stop walking again, turning my head towards her. She looks up at me, confusion laced in her eyes. “I really do love you, you know.” 

Her face lights up with a smile. “I know you do.” she tells me, bringing our entwined hands up to her face. Gently, she places a soft kiss along my knuckles where my bruises still lie. “I love you too.” 

Satisfied, I start back along the path, only stopping again when I realise she isn’t following. Turning back, I notice the sad smile she wears, as she stares off seemingly to nowhere. I can practically see the cogs turning in her head as she thinks. “Por qué estás callada?” I mutter under my breath, retracing my steps back to her. “What’s wrong, mi preciado?” 

She jumps a little at the sound of my voice. Her big golden eyes look up at me, wide and full of hope. “Everything is going to be okay, isn’t it?” 

I don’t want to lie to her, but the puppy dog eyes she gives me makes it harder and harder not to. “Yeah,” I assure her, half-heartedly. A lie this big could move mountains, but the truth could obliterate them. It kills me to see her so unsure. I can live with the guilt of a lie, but I can’t live with the guilt of her unhappiness. So, I tell a lie the size of God’s hands, as long and dark as the midnight between the stars up above us. “Yeah, of course it is.” 

She gives me an uncertain smile, one that says she doesn’t quite believe me, but I can tell she’s thankful for the reassurance. Standing up on her toes, she presses her lips firmly against mine. This time, it’s my turn to look away. She must notice some kind of hesitation in me, because she asks me in a quiet voice.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Concern lines her eyes so I try my best to smile. “Yeah, I’m good.” I assure her. “Just thinking.” 

She takes my hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. “You know you can tell me, right?” 

She’s so beautiful, so sincere. A girl this pure is enough to steal the air from my lungs and make the earth retreat beneath our feet. I want more than anything for her to know just how special she is. Just how loved she is. She brings me such peace, makes me so calm. With her, I actually want to feel again. 

I nod my reply, this time with a genuine smile. “Come on, let’s go home.” I say with a gentle laugh. “It’s getting late.” 

The rain around us has ceased, but the fresh and muggy smell of petrichor still lingers in the air. Taking her hand in mine, we start to walk again, back through the trees towards home. Everything is quiet, as it should be, except for the strong sense of rubatosis that I feel. Shrugging it off, I clutch Amity’s hand tighter as we round the corner to the Owl House. I can see it now, roof and all. It stands there, simultaneously like a prize and a burden. As we draw closer to it, I can’t shake the feeling of occhiolism. That I will never be able to see more than my perspective allows. That I’ll never know more than what Amity chooses to tell me. This is what I’m thinking about when Amity turns to me quickly, pulling on my arm a little. She takes a deep breath, as through summoning the courage to say what’s on her mind.

Her eyes are wide, and she grips onto my hand as she speaks. “Before we go inside, there’s something you should know.” she lets out a breath, continuing at the sight of my raised eyebrows. “Whatever it is Serena told you, just do it. I mean, you have to try, don’t you?” 

I sigh, suddenly wishing I had told her the truth before. Her innocent eyes are enough to make me want to leave all of this behind and bring her back to the human world with me. I can’t do that though. I won’t. “Amity, listen…” 

“I know it has something to do with me.” she tells me, and my eyes widen at her words. 

“How did you-”

She smiles softly. “Because, if it didn’t, you would have told me by now.” I can’t help but laugh at that. It’s true, I would’ve. I should’ve. I just couldn’t live with myself if I had. “I think I know why you didn’t want to tell me, Luz, but I want you to know that it’s okay.” she chokes on her breath a little as tears sting at her eyes. Swallowing, she starts again. “I owe it to myself to make things right after everything that I did. I owe it to you.” 

I shake my head quickly, closing the gap between us. “No, you don’t owe me anything.” I press my lips firmly against hers, pressing our foreheads together when she pulls away. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” I breathe into her silence. 

“So I didn’t try to kill you?”

Even in this accusation, she still holds a tone of innocence, as though she doesn’t want it to be true. I pull away from her a little, bringing one hand to her face as I look into her eyes. “You- I mean, you-...what?” 

“I remember.” she tells me, the tears flowing freely from her eyes now. I brush them away with my thumb, but more keep coming. “At least, I think I do.” She sighs, looking away from me, as though she can’t bear it anymore. “I keep seeing things- I don’t know if they’re memories or dreams.” she squints hard, trying to think, trying to piece as much of this as she can back together. “I-I remember red a-and blue. A blue light, like an orb.” Closing her eyes tightly seems to help, as she continues to reel off what she can see. “I remember the pain, it hurt so much. It was like burning, like I was on fire. And in the cell at the Coven, I remember now...I told you I loved you, but you left." her voice wavers, cracking as she relives her heartbreak. "You left and I-I didn’t understand why. You promised you wouldn’t leave again.”

“Amity.” I try, my voice soft, but she doesn’t seem to hear me.

“You promised!” she clutches her stomach now, as though the pain she once felt has returned. Only for a moment though, then she opens her eyes, looking right through me. “I remember in the forest, the day you brought me to the Owl House. That’s right, isn’t it?” 

All I can do is nod, unsure of where she’s going with this memory. 

“I remember you saying over and over ‘do it, do it’ like you didn’t even matter, But you did! You did matter, Luz. So much, and I couldn’t do it.” She’s crying now, almost hysterically, but she keeps her sanity, her pride. “I remember seeing the scorched bark of the tree after you ducked out of the way. I remember thinking that could have been you. I could have done that to you-” 

“It wasn’t, and you didn’t.” I interrupt, grabbing her wrists gently. She opens her eyes, looking up at me. “I’m okay. We’re okay.” She swallows hard and nods. “Do you remember Serena in that memory? From that day in the forest?” 

She squints hard, racking her brain. “No,” she says after a moment. “No, she wasn’t there.” 

I nod my head with a soft smile. “She was. She tried to hurt me, but you stopped her.” I tell her, my voice low. Amity looks up at me, eyes wide like a child. “You almost died trying to protect me, Am’, and I’ll never forgive myself for that.” 

“That’s why you took me back to the Owl House.” she thinks out loud, joining the dots. I just nod along as her expression melts. Letting out a breath, she steps towards me, burying her face in my chest. “Thank you.” she tells me, her voice muffled by my waistcoat. 

I laugh a little, and she pulls away from me with a soft smile. “I love you.” I tell her, planting a soft kiss on her nose.

“I love you too.” she tells me, sincerely. “How do you always know the right thing to say?” 

I chuckle again, taking her hand as we make our way towards the front door. “Oh, years of experience, mi querida.” 

“HOOT!”

We both jump, turning at the source of the noise. Hooty’s head floats just behind us, giving us a devilish grin. 

“Does anyone wanna hear about MY experience?” 

“No, Hooty.” Amity says firmly. “That’s not something anyone wants to hear about, ever.” 

I can’t help but laugh at her tone. She’s so much different when she’s alone with me, so soft and sincere. I love both sides of her equally. 

“How was your prom?” Hooty asks me, clearly ignoring Amity’s comment. 

“Actually,” I tell him. “It was really great.” 

Amity only smiles her agreement.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome :) 
> 
> First of all I hope everyone is staying safe and well in the current global situation.
> 
> This is just something I've been working on for a while now and I wanted to share with you guys.  
> As you can tell, this is a future au which focuses on Luz and Amity's relationship, as well as Amity joining the Emperor's Coven. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy. If you guys keep reading, I'll keep writing!


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